


Safety Net

by Instigator



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Depression, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Feelings, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, IM3 Spoilers, M/M, Multi, OT3, Oral Sex, Subspace, Trust Kink, Vaginal Sex, caregiving kink, handjobs, lots of communication, lots of talking, superstrength kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-08
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-28 20:00:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 49,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/995961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Instigator/pseuds/Instigator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Pepper aren't the type to stand idly by when they want something. As it turns out, what they want is Steve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter Proposition

**Author's Note:**

> Set post IM3, with accompanying IM3 spoilers
> 
> I'm working under the assumption that when Tony tried to "fix" Extremis he meant to stabilize it, and that if he could have a superpowered girlfriend who'd be less likely to get menaced by his various supervillains, he'd go with that.
> 
> Really I wrote this because they all have issues at least hinted at and I wanted everyone to have a nice hug and then some steamy sex. 
> 
> Special thanks to lovely beta readers Maskedfangirl and printed_soot.

Pepper had been waiting for 3 hours. Stark Industries was important to her, but when Tony and Steve went out to fight, she no longer even pretended her attention could be on anything else. She had people and systems in place to prevent anyone else from taking advantage of that fact. Jarvis gave her updates, of course, but she wouldn’t feel ok until Tony was safely home.

 

The hotrod red streaking steadily towards her across the sky was a good start, though, and she got on her feet, getting up to meet him as he landed outside. His faceplate slammed upwards the moment he landed and from his wide-eyed expression and the way he could barely bring himself to slow down enough for the landing gear system to remove the armor, something was very wrong. His strides were long and barely restrained from a run when he came in. “Pepper. Pepper, we have a problem.”

 

She ran the last few steps to him, grabbing his arms and looking him over. He seemed unhurt. He continued before she had a chance to ask further. “I kissed Steve.”

 

She gasped. That was not what she’d been expecting. “You _what_? Tony!”

 

He gestured helplessly. “I thought he’d been shot! It looked like he’d been shot! Well, I mean he _was_ shot, just not as bad as I thought?”

 

Shot? How not-bad could being shot be? “Oh my God. Is he ok?”

 

Tony nodded. “It only grazed him. He said he’ll be healed by dinner.” He ran a hand over his face, still looking overwhelmed and frantic. “But it knocked him back just enough he fell for a second and-“ She reached her arms up to circle around his neck, pulling his head down to her shoulder. “I really thought they’d got him.”

 

She hugged him tight; her own fear eased a little. That would be terrifying. Still. “Next time call for medical backup, don’t kiss him.”

 

“No, I already knew he was ok when I kissed him. I was just so _relived_.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, she carefully tightened her grip, and sighed. Tony muttered against her hair. “I’m sorry.”

 

The reached up, smoothing his hair back. “I really wish you’d waited, Tony. We had a _plan_.”

 

He looked at her apologetically. “I know, I know. Ugh. Well, at least I got really good, clear confirmation he’s not straight. Went right for the ass grab. Which, kind of a shame, really, since I was in the suit. Sort of a waste, but still.”

 

She let him go, only trailing fingers along his arm to his wrist. “Well, that’s something.” She put her hand to her forehead. “This is still really going to complicate things.”

 

“So now, Steve thinks I’m a cad, cheating on you. So he’s going to basically hate me.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Steve isn’t going to hate you. He’s probably angrier at himself.”

 

Tony groaned, heading towards the couch. “Worse. That’s worse. I’m going to give him a complex.”

 

“Steve is sturdier than that. We just…we need to talk to him. _I_ need to talk to him. Explain things.”

 

“Pep, _he kissed me back_. He’s probably going to hide in a deep dark hole somewhere for like, a month before he can look either of us in the eye. Minimally.”

 

She followed towards the couch, shaking her head. “I don’t think he’ll refuse to see me if I call him. I’ll just…have to explain things to him. It’s not ideal, but it could be worse.”

 

He flopped on the couch, fidgeting with the edge of a pillow. “Should I come?”

 

She shook her head. “Let me talk to him first. Do you think it’s ok if I call him now?”

 

He gestured vaguely, paused, then repeated the gesture. “I have no idea.”

 

She considered it. If Steve was as upset as she expected him to be, sooner would be better. “I’ll call.”

 

* * *

 

Steve was pacing his apartment. Pepper had called him practically as soon as he’d gotten home. The whole conversation had been agonizing. She sounded so calm, almost gentle. But the fact that she was calling and wanting to see him as soon as Tony’d gotten home told him Tony had done the right thing and confessed to her what they’d done. It was the right thing to do. It showed Tony hadn’t given up on respect for Pepper or his relationship with her.

 

But Steve had really, really hoped he wouldn’t.

 

If he hadn’t, maybe they could’ve just pretend it had never happened.  Just forgotten about it. Or, in Steve’s case, pretended to pretend it’d never happened. He was used to pretending. He’d never in his life forget the heat of Tony’s desperate, demanding lips on his- the scrape of his beard, armored arms wrapping tight around him with the sort of intense need to touch and be touch…

 

He’d probably reach a point where he’d _try_ to forget about it.

 

It had felt so real in the moment. It had felt like coming home to a lover- to someone who loved him. At least it felt like he’d always imagined that would feel. Even if he couldn’t actually feel Tony under the suit, even if Tony hadn’t been able to feel him other than where their mouths met, and part of him really hoped Tony couldn’t feel Steve because Steve had made a complete ass of himself groping at unyielding metal, the kiss itself had felt like being loved.

 

Except this wasn’t love. It was a betrayal. Steve and Tony had betrayed each other, and Pepper. He’d be furious at Tony for the kiss, he _was_ furious at Tony for the kiss. But Tony had a reputation, albeit a somewhat out of date one, of being an impulsive playboy. If Steve hadn’t kissed back, hadn’t been so nakedly open with his own wants, nothing would have had to change. But now Tony knew- and now Pepper knew and he felt so damn certain he was about to lose everyone he had left to care about in this world. He’d end up like he was just after he’d woken up. But this time it would be because of his mistake, not his sacrifice, and instead of losing everyone to save them, he’d have lost them because he’d hurt them.

 

There was a knock, and he allowed himself a second to squeeze his eyes shut, tighten his jaw, and brace himself. He’d apologize. He’d ask for forgiveness. But he wouldn’t let her see how terrified he was. She had the right to not have to worry about Steve’s feelings now. Maybe, if he got out of the picture, they could at least heal their own relationship. He’d just have to interact with Tony for Avengers business. And they could keep it cordial, right?

 

Unless…SHEILD found out about this to and discharged him. Then what would he have left?

 

No. He wasn’t going to indulge in his own self-pity. That wasn’t the priority right now. He swallowed, and opened the door. There was Pepper, and oh God- she was smiling at him. She looked almost embarrassed. That wasn’t right. Pepper was strong, one of the most capable people he knew. She shouldn’t be bordering on apologetic after what he and Tony had done. He stood aside, gesturing her in. He tried to find his voice. “Can I get you anything?”

 

She walked in, still smiling at him as if she was afraid of scaring him. She was, as ever, sharply dressed and beautiful. He loved that she still wore mostly skirts and dresses. Most women these days didn’t. It gave such a feminine charm to her edge. And she had incredible legs. Damn it, how could Tony jeopardize having this? If Steve had either one of them, he’d latch on and not let go for anything. Steve was a lot better looking since the serum, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Pepper and Tony should know better. Tony’d said he loved her. He always acted like he loved her. “No, thank you. I just needed to come talk to you about…about today.”

 

He braced himself again, knew he looked grim. He hoped she’d understand that he knew how wrong this was. She had the right to rant and rail and tell him how wrong it was, if she wanted to, but he’d give her every reason not to have to. “Pepper. I’m so, so sorry.” She looked at him, head tilting slightly, shoulders dropping down. She was the picture of empathy. He couldn’t stand it. “Look, I can understand if you can’t forgive me just…I hope I haven’t come between you and Tony. I don’t want anything to get in the way of that. I know it’s your call but…look, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Just say the word.”

 

If anything, she looked more sympathetic towards Steve. He couldn’t bear it, and looked away. There was a moment of silence when he could hear his heart beat. He readied himself for the final blow. When there was sound, it was the click of her high heels on the floor, then his couch settling as she sat. Her voice was unfairly gentle. “Come sit with me?”

 

He couldn’t deny her. But the only seating he had in here other than the dining table was the couch she was already on. He crossed to it, and sat on the far other end. She turned in her seat, long pale limbs bending towards him. She tilted her head, trying to catch his eye, and again, he couldn’t deny her. But he wished she’d get angry. Whatever was giving her such mercy towards him was undeserved, and he only wanted her to have things she deserved. She smiled at him sweetly. “Steve, it’s alright.”

 

Anger flared up in his chest, and he straightened. “No. It’s not. You deserve better than that.” His eyes narrowed. “And I hope nobody’s tried to tell you differently.”

 

Her eyebrows raised up, the smile at the corners of her lips genuinely amused now, but her eyes were touched. “If you’re asking whether Tony’s tried to convince me it’s ok for him to cheat on me, no, he hasn’t. And even if he tried it would never work. Which he knows.”

 

Steve’s jaw tightened. “Then I don’t know what he told you, but-“

 

“He told me he kissed you, and that you kissed him back.” She said simply. Steve’s face burned. He knew he was inexperienced, and unsophisticated, but even in this new, far more liberal world, one afternoon of TV would tell you that wasn’t considered acceptable. He knew that much. She bit her lip. “Steve…did you….know you were interested in men before now?”

 

This was the new most humiliating conversation of Steve’s life. At least when he’d confessed to Bucky they’d both been drunk. That had blunted the edges considerably. “That’s not really something I-“

 

She cut him off. “Well, I think the cat’s out of the bag, now. I just want to know if you’re ok. I’m thinking if you just now figured that out it could be-“

 

No. He couldn’t take her sympathy or her concern. “I knew.” He knew and he should have kept himself away from temptation.

 

She sagged back against the couch. “Oh thank goodness. We thought so, but you can never be sure.”

 

Oh God. Oh God he’d been _obvious_. No wonder Tony’d had the nerve. How badly had he been broadcasting his perversions- his fantasies- his hopeless crushes- to the rest of the world? Back before the serum nobody had ever paid him enough attention to notice. Then with the war there’d always been better things to focus on. But now? How much of a target had he been painting on his back since he’d gotten here? And Pepper and Tony had _talked about it_.  Steve could almost crawl into an iceberg and hide for another 70 years. He was going to lose everyone he loved all over again anyways. Without even having the right to fight for it.

 

She surprised him by reaching out to grasp his hand, clenched in a knot of a fist on his knee. He startled, trying to pull it back. She refused to let go, and was one of the few people who he couldn’t easily shake off. He looked at her, trying for reproachful, but froze again at the sight of those perfect clear eyes watching him earnestly. She leaned forward braced on her other arm. “Steve, it’s OK. We were going to talk to you about it anyways-“

 

He recoiled, but still didn’t yank his hand out of her deceptively delicate hand. She looked worried, anxious. She looked away slightly. “God. I’m actually not very good at this sort of thing. I haven’t dated much.” Steve couldn’t think of anything to say to that. He hoped if he stayed as quiet as he could within the basic dictates of manners, this would be over sooner. In the mean time, he tried not to think about her pale hand warming in his. She looked back at him. “Would it be fair to say you find me attractive?”

 

It had gotten worse. He hadn’t expected that.

 

He could talk to Pepper. She was taken and efficient and forgiving and easy to get along with and very clear with her expectations. Even as beautiful as she was, he could talk to her. Until now. Now he just stared at her, mutely, feeling like his insides were suddenly on the wrong side of his skin, out for the world to see. His face heated painfully. Her head tilted again and she gave him this pitying smile with a little too much mirth in it. Hiding in an iceberg was starting to sound like a good idea.

 

He deserved this, anything she could dish out. Tony was precious to her and he’d helped to jeopardize that. He couldn’t fairly complain. But that smirk, this turning him inside out- she was doing a flawless job of reminding him how much he didn’t belong here- with them, or possibly in any relationship. That while he could be a hero behind a shield, he was a coward under the eyes of someone he admired. And no one looking for a man wanted a coward on their arm. He dropped his eyes to the side, a silent acknowledgement he was beat. A very quiet plea for mercy. Her hand tightened on his, a mark of punctuation and emphasis. He realized he was clutching at her hand, and released it, quickly.

 

Thin fingers brushed his face and his eyes snapped open, coming to meet hers. She licked her lips. “Steve, I think you care about me, and about Tony, am I right?” he leaned away. This felt like a trap. Her fingers were gentle and her eyes were kind, but this had to be a trap. She shifted closer so she could sit up straight while resting her hand on his shoulder. “Steve, Tony and I both love you. And find you very attractive. And we discussed that because we don’t have secrets from each other. And the thing is…the main point of all this, I guess.” She blushed prettily. “We had planned to ask you out, jointly, when you came over for dinner next week. But, Tony jumped the gun because, well, he’s Tony, and because he was scared for you. He can get pretty needy if he’s scared for someone he cares about. I’m sorry it happened this way. We wanted to make this as comfortable as possible for you.”

 

He couldn’t quite wrap his mind around her words. They had an obvious, but just as obviously incorrect, meaning. He didn’t know how else to take them. “I don’t-“ he shook his head. “I don’t think I understand.”

 

She hesitated. “Ok. What about this- you still love Peggy, don’t you?”

 

That was painful, but safe territory. He nodded. “Always will.”

 

She smiled she way she always did when Peggy came up. Like it was romantic. It probably did make a nice story, from the outside. “But do you think you’ll ever love someone else?” He already did. He nodded. “Well, I love Tony. But I don’t need to lose him to love someone else too. And I’m incredibly lucky that the other man I love, Tony loves and admires just as much. If he didn’t, I’d try to move on and get over it. But he does, and I do, and we…hope to have the opportunity to win you over.” She sat back, watching with nervous expectancy.

 

But… “You sound like you’re asking me out.” He said lamely. Because that was exactly what it sounded like and he couldn’t come up with one other possible explanation and no matter how angry Pepper was he didn’t think she’d toy with him like that, which could only mean…

 

“I am. On behalf of both of us. Myself and Tony.” She answered a touch briskly. “But I should mention that if you don’t want to go that route- and we both know it’s a really strange request, we will both still care about and respect you, and will hope you’ll stay in our lives as a daily fixture.”

 

Date both of them. At the same time. He imagined being curled up on a sofa with them both- tangling their ankles together and leaning his head on one of their shoulders and stroking the others hair. “But…people don’t really…do that, do they?”

 

She smiled ruefully. “Well, it’s not what I’d call common. And if it weren’t for you, I don’t think we’d have gone this route. This wasn’t something we were looking for. Honestly we both felt pretty bad about it before things got out in the open. But you did happen and neither of us is the type of person to pass on something that we really want. We have to at least try.”

 

He thought possibly he was losing his mind. He was too swamped with emotions and no clear line of action. “I, uhm.”

 

She patted his shoulder. “Just think about it, ok? Take however long you need. We want you to feel comfortable with whatever you decide. And honestly, I really hope this doesn’t scare you off. Your friendship is really important to us both.” She patted his shoulder again, and stood, gracefully coming to balance on those precarious shoes.

 

“Yeah.” His voice sounded distant, far away. “I’ll give that some thought. Uhm.”

 

“I’ll let myself out.” She assured him as his brain whirred in place. He thought he said something in return, but he wasn’t sure. There was a moment of her walking towards the door in a skirt that was tighter than he’d noticed at first, then she paused. “Steve?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Tony said you’d been shot. Are you…ok?”

 

“Oh. Yeah.”

 

And then she was gone.

 

Steve sat back on the couch, and tried to figure out what the hell had just happened, here.

 

* * *

 

Tony tapped his wrench on the side of the table. God, was this how dating felt for other people? No wonder he’d avoided it for basically his entire life. Pepper had been fine, she’d already known his every irritating quirk and bad habit before their relationship had hit that point. And he’d never had to ask her out—their very brief and aborted conversation before his “coming out” press conference had been the closest he’d ever had to get. But she hadn’t shown any indication that that distressed her, so despite her brutally efficient rebuffment, it hadn’t really hurt. He hadn’t risked losing her.

 

He’d been in his private workshop since Pepper’d gotten back, tinkering and giving at least a little thought to Pep’s admonishment that if he was going to go on a manic work binge he should consider trying to make something potentially profitable. She’d come back to the tower, and was dealing with some of the work calls she’d been too distracted to deal with while he was out. Later there would be dinner, then sex, which would calm him down some, and then, hopefully, sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat for as many days as Rogers required to make up his mind and either give Tony far more than he deserved, or dash his admittedly greedy fantasies against the rocks.

 

He could live with that. He could. As long as Steve didn’t decide he didn’t want anything more to do with them and shunned their pervy ways and company. The thought of losing Steve felt uncomfortably like what he’d felt when he’d seen Pepper fall into that fire. Not as bad, thank God. Steve would still be safe, at least—although maybe less safe without Tony there to save his shapely ass now and then. Maybe Steve would still let Tony fight with him? More likely he just wouldn’t argue when Fury told him to be cooperative and to focus on saving the day.

 

It wasn’t fair. Pepper had taken over 15 years to worm her way into his heart. He’d known Steve for less than two years. It was Pepper’s fault, really. He probably wouldn’t even have noticed falling in love if he hadn’t learned to recognize the sensation because of her. He could have just continued lusting and harassing in a state of blissful ignorance. But Tony was greedy and had always been greedy and now he recognized love, he would cling to it as hard as he could without (hopefully) crushing it.

 

“Sir, Captain Rogers is in the lobby and is requesting access to the upper floors. May I assume he has the appropriate clearance to do so?”

 

Tony jumped. “He’s- he’s here?” He jumped down off the workbench. “Yeah. Wait, no. Ask Pepper first.”

 

There was a brief silence where, presumably, Jarvis did just that. “He will be arriving at the primary residential level in 20 seconds.”

 

Tony dropped what he was doing and sprinted. This was stupid. He was acting like a dumb kid with a crush. He paused, inspecting a shiny surface, and rubbed a bit of grime off his jaw, rubbing it then onto his pants. If he’d had more time to prepare he’d be able to make himself a bit more of a temptation, but knowing Steve, he’d already made up his mind. And shown up without warning because damn tactics, that’s why. Stupid perfect jerk.

 

At the bottom of the stairs, Pepper was standing, facing the door with her hands clasped together in front of her. He reveled again at his lack of jealousy regarding Pepper and Steve. But Pepper was perfect, and should have all the nicest things. And that should include Steve. And if she hadn’t left Tony by now, he felt pretty secure that she never would. Plus, Tony would look awesome having sex with Steve, that could only be an additional incentive for her to stick around.

 

The elevator doors opened on a completely petrified super soldier. Tony clamped down an urge to tackle the man in a hug. He looked like he needed a hug. Except there was a reasonable chance he was here to tell Tony to never speak to him again, so yeah. No hug. Tony swallowed a lump in his throat. He briefly considered staying by the stairway where he could subtly grip the banister as a lifeline or leave quickly without having to break into a run, but no. Instead he kept his body loose, heading over to Pepper, to provide what backup he could. Her hand reached out behind her to grip his just a hair too tight. He spoke first. “Hey.”

 

Steve didn’t move. Jarvis kept the elevator door opened. Tony had a second to wonder if Steve was staying in there in the vain hope that the doors would close again and he could go back downstairs and pretend he’d never come here. Steve mustered himself. “Hi.”

 

Pepper tilted her head. “You can come in, if you want.”

 

Steve hesitated, then nodded, stepping off like he was ready for a court-martial. She saw it to, and her grip on his hand turned a smidge painful. He just looked at them for a moment, carefully. “To be honest, I’m more than half worried I just imagined the whole thing.” Tony’s eyebrows raised in the silence. Steve started to look alarmed. “Wait, did I? Did…”

 

Pepper was properly reassuring. “You didn’t imagine it.” Tony was busy wondering if they’d genuinely blown a gasket in Steve’s non-Y2K compliant brain. Which didn’t even make sense because Steve was clearly analogue. The way pressure released from Steve’s back made it look like for a second he’d actually convinced himself he’d imagined Tony kissing him and Pepper asking him out. Like it was too good…or…then again maybe just too bizarre…to have really happened.

 

Steve’s eyes took on a heartbreakingly hopeful look and Tony’s freshly refurbished heart skipped a beat. “And, you were serious?” Some part of Steve, some part of him lodged in the 1930s, was plainly worried they were setting him up. That he would be betrayed and laughed at.

 

Tony once again quashed the urge to go cuddle him. “Yep.”

 

The hope that bloomed on Steve’s face might be the most painfully adorable fucking thing Tony had ever seen. Then Steve glanced to the side, shuffling one foot and rubbing one hand across the back of his neck. His voice was almost a mumble. “I’d like that.”

 

They’d had every reason to expect that. He’d been checking them both out for months. He was beyond sweet to both of them, even helping Tony get back on his feet after surgery. The bashful looks. That incineratinly hot kiss. The quiet longing glances from under long eyelashes. Plus, who wouldn’t want either of them? But somehow, still, when he actually heard it, Tony’s mouth dropped open. Peppers grip tightened into something even more viselike, and he was gratified that she looked just about as shocked.

 

Steve flipped back to alarm, shuffling one more half step back, horrified. “Was I not supposed to-“

 

Goddamn, Rogers was gonna be a bit of a delicate flower for a bit till he got used to all this. Tony and Pepper both stepped forward towards him at the same time, and Steve stepped back again. Ok, yeah, maybe look a little less hivemind. They exchanged a glance.  Tony looked back to Steve. “Can I kiss you? Y’know, without all the armor on? Like, nowish?”

 

Steve’s eyes flicked to Pepper, who was trying and, to Tony’s eye anyway, _failing_ not to get that sexy, slightly predatory look she got when she was on the scent of something she wanted. She smiled reassurance at Steve, and let go of Tony’s hand. Tony took a slow step forward, and Steve’s eyes were huge and bright and so full of want. Steve nodded, a small dip of the chin. Tony restrained himself, kept his footsteps towards Steve slow, patient, non-agressive. Not a football tackle. He saw Steve’s hands flex at his sides.

 

As far as Tony knew, Steve was the only virgin Tony had ever kissed. Virgins tended to start with the bunny hill, which Tony was very publicly not. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with a virgin, beyond wanting him to stop fitting that category as swiftly as possible. Only, y’know, at a slow, respectful pace that would be negotiated between Steve and Pepper and that he would adhere to out of concern and affection.

 

Tony reached one hand up to the side of Steve’s face, sliding his fingers slowly just under and along Steve’s jaw, his index finger brushing against those statuesque cheekbones. Steve was still watching him, but his eyes fluttered slightly at the contact, and he was leaning towards Tony almost imperceptibly, red lips just barely parted. Probably remembering the burn of the previous kiss. Tony leaned in, tilting his head up. It’d been a long time since he’d kissed someone significantly taller than him- even today, he’d been in the suit. Steve would tower over Tony when he didn’t have shoes. He felt the lightest brush of fingertips along his side, nearly tickling in their tentativeness, and Tony brought their lips together.

 

Steve melted against him, the light touch relaxing into a huge, hot hand resting gently just above Tony’s hip. His lips were every bit as soft as their plush appearance would suggest, and he tasted like spearmint. God bless him, it was 6pm and he tasted like toothpaste. He’d brushed before coming over here, that smooth devil. Tony opened his mouth, and Steve mirrored the action with a noise halfway between a gasp and a whimper. Tony placed his other hand on Steve’s waist, and felt Steve lightly gripping his elbow, as if to ask Tony to keep his hands on Steve. Tony ran the tip of his tongue along  Steve’s lower lip and this time Steve did gasp, audibly.

 

Ok, inexperienced and overeager was generally very solidly not Tony’s thing. But getting that kind of reaction from Steve, stares-down-alien-invasions-without-developing-mental-disorders Steve. That, apparently, was its own category of fetish.

 

Steve pulled back, and Tony had to make the split second decision not to chase those lips. He looked down at Tony, eyes all pupil and throat bobbing. Then Steve glanced behind them, presumably to Pepper.

 

Pepper stepped forward with a sweet, hungry smile no man could resist. “May I cut in?”

 

Steve looked to Tony, worried. Yeah, ok. Weird situation. But no, still no jealousy. Tony stepped back, just far enough for Pepper to take his place, but easily within reaching distance. Steve kept looking between the two of them, still clearly having trouble believing that this was reality. In fairness to Steve, this was pretty quality wet dream material.

 

Pepper was less delicate about it than Tony had been, wrapping one long white arm back around Steve’s neck and shoulders and pulling herself flush against him for a firm, though not aggressive, kiss. Just like before, Steve melted. But his hands hovered out a good 6 inches from any part of her body. Tony restrained a chuckle. He placed his hand over the closer one of Steve’s, and gently placed it on Peppers lower back. Pepper responded by leaning a little further into Steve. Steve’s eyes flicked open to Tony for a split second, then he gave up completely and wrapped both arms around her, with parted lips and helpless closed eyes.

 

Tony stepped back, watching. Watching them, and watching himself for any problematic reactions. He’d sworn to Pepper, and would swear to Steve, to mention the first time he started having concerns. She’d given him the same assurance, and they’d need it from Cap as well. After all, just because a fantasy was hot didn’t make it a good idea. He’d jerked off thinking about Pepper and Natasha together more than once, but if that actually happened someone would end up dead. Probably Tony. But at least Pepper would totally Avenge him if that happened.

 

He tried to identify the feeling he was experiencing, watching them. Warm, centered in the abdomen, with only slight increase in respiration which was probably due to turned-on-ness, which was really more of a sensation than a feeling. His shoulders felt relaxed. He felt good.

 

Safe. That was the feeling. Palpably safe. Another one he wasn’t historically so good at recognizing due to lack of familiarity. Until Pepper. Seeing Steve and Pepper together made him feel _safe_. That was weird, wasn’t it? That was a weird reaction. Pleasant, though.

 

They separated, both slightly breathless. Both shot him a glance to make sure he was alright. The feeling of being _safe_ spiked, and he grinned, radiating smugness and perfectly happy to do so. “Wow.”

 

Pepper laughed, and leaned her head against Steve’s shoulder. Steve grinned, embarrassed, and tucked his face against her hair. He looked so wholesome. Tony wanted to keep him forever. Steve let Pepper go, blushing to the roots of his hair, and still grinning like a lovestruck kid. “So, ah. How’s it go now?”

 

Oh, Tony had so many suggestions on that score. So many. Most of them sweaty, although one of those was just Steve and Pepper practice sparring while he jerked off watching them because damn watching the two of them move together was enough to put him over the edge. Getting Steve as Pepper’s super-strength fighting coach was one of the best ideas he’d ever had. Pepper got her voice in order while he was busy in the gutter. “Well, that’s partly up to you. But maybe you’d like to start by joining us for dinner? We’d meant to ask you out, but…you’re already here and it doesn’t seem right to spring a formal dinner on you at the last minute. But we’d love you to stay.”

 

Especially since Steve was in jeans and sometimes got uncomfortable in fine restaurants. But he was old fashioned enough he probably at least liked the idea that they would take him out to on the town. Steve smiled thankfully, maybe at being asked someplace nice, maybe at having an out. “Thanks. I’d like that.”

 

Tony crossed his arms, still not able to stop grinning. This was unreasonable. Even for him, this was _unreasonable_. If the public found out he had Pepper AND Steve they’d have him killed for hogging up all the sexy for himself. Depleting America if its natural sexiness resources. “So, big guy—question.” Steve looked at him attentively. “How far do you consider it reasonable to go on a first date? Not gonna hold you to your answer or anything, just getting a ballpark estimate.”

 

Pepper grinned, hiding her face against Steve’s chest, which seemed to startle Steve as much as the question. Peppers voice was too amused to really sound reproachful. “Tony.”

 

Tony shrugged. “What? I’m just saying, between me, you, and him, there is not one of us with dating experience relevant to this. I’m keeping open communication and avoiding making assumptions.” He looked at Steve. “Honestly. Just let me know. Or, you can, y’know ‘we’ll see’ about it, if you really want. But if there’s something you were hoping to get to, we could have that conversation.”

 

Steve was red in the face, more than a little overwhelmed, but he was smirking slightly. Pepper was laughing silently. “Tony. Not before dinner.” He shrugged, hands in his pockets. Pepper looked up at Steve, hands flat against his broad chest. “I’d apologize for him, but I think you had a pretty good idea what you were getting into.” Steve smiled like he was making some slight pretense at trying not to. “And anyways, we’ll need to have an actual conversation about boundaries and logistics before we can get too far. But I think all of that should wait until after dinner. “

 

Steve nodded. “Follow your lead, then.” He grinned at her, all apple pies and sunshine, then at Tony, then ducked his head against a grin again. Fucking adorable.

 

Tony shrugged again. “Whatever. I can be patient.” Steve, who’d been around to help out some during the recovery and knew how well Tony dealt with waiting—although that was different because that was waiting without distractions, that was what he was bad at. Steve gave him a heavily skeptical look. Twerp. Tony responded with a deliberately dirty smirk. “I can be patient when what I’m waiting on was worth the wait.” The words weren’t even dirty, perfectly innocent words, but Steve blushed anyways. This time the blush was accompanied by a smug look Tony made up his mind to get used to. It would probably last longer than the blushing would. Steve was adaptable that way.

 

* * *

 

Steve was trying very, very hard not to turn into a clumsy, tongue-tied mess during dinner. He refused to allow that. These were his friends. Or…or something. What would you call a couple you were dating? There probably wasn’t a word for that. Maybe in French. But Tony kept grinning at him in this quasi-possessive, incredibly smug way, and Pepper was smiling brilliantly at him and something about the way she kept toying with her wine glass was really grabbing his attention. His heart was pounding and he was pretty sure that at least 90% of the time he was wearing the stupidest, most childish grin on his face.

 

He should feel guilty about this. He really should. This was debauched. Bizarre. Greedy.

 

But Pepper’d said they loved him. And they would know, wouldn’t they? They were plainly crazy about each other. And so good together. This wasn’t a first time infatuation. They probably knew more about love than Steve did. He could’ve turned down he physical stuff, at least, once he’d got his head on straight he could have. But if they really did love him…then that wasn’t so bad, was it? And if he got his heart broken… well, that was always a risk. No matter who or how many people he loved, that would be a risk.

 

There hadn’t been anything on his plate for twenty minutes when Pepper set her napkin on the table and stood. “Well, gentlemen, shall we reconvene in the living room? Steve, coffee? I know you want one” she added towards Tony.

 

“Uh, sure.” Steve said. He needed to stop saying uh, um, and all of those clear signs his brain was stalling out. “Thanks.” He stood, and collected up his plates.

 

Tony tisked at him, and batted lightly at his hands. “Leave that. This is a date. I’ll catch you trying to wash dishes next. Leave those.” Tony stood, gesturing at him. “C’mon. Couch. Time for The Talk. I think Pepper’s even drafted some paperwork special for the occasion.”

 

His tone was light, and Steve tried to match it, ambling with his hands in his pockets. “Should I have brought two forms of ID?”

 

Tony turned, walking backwards and grinning. “Nah, Peps a certified notary, as long as she’s satisfied with your identity, you’re golden.”

 

Tony dropped down onto the couch in a near sprawl. Steve wasn’t sure where to sit, so he stayed standing. “So, um.” _Needed_ to stop saying Um. His speech coach from the tour would be horrified. “ ‘The Talk?’ “

 

Pepper came up behind him. “Guidelines. Figuring out ahead of time what everyone wants, and is comfortable with. Couples are confusing enough, if we don’t set clear ground rules for communication this can only end badly.”

 

He blinked at her, caught by surprise.

 

That was...that was the best damn idea he’d ever heard. That was what he’d always hated—the guesswork, the uncertainty. She looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, I know this must seem so artificial. But I just…I really need to set up a safety net before going forward with this.”

 

Tony looked guilty. “Sorry, Cap, this one has to be non-negotiable.”

 

Pepper put a hand on his arm. “It’s to minimize the chances of anyone getting hurt.”

 

Steve shook of his daze. “No, I-I think that’s great.” This was brilliant. Why wasn’t it always done like this?

 

Tony smirked at Pepper. "Honey, is that a note-taking application you have open there?"

 

She sat on the couch, crossing her legs as Tony peered down at the tablet in her hands. "Yes it is." she smiled at Tony. "And I'm going to have Jarvis make you flashcards out of my notes."

 

Tony's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know there'd be homework."

 

"Well, now you do." She answered brightly. "Ok, lets see. Um."

 

Tony leaned in front of her. "Is that a schedule?” He grinned. “I thought I was kidding about the paperwork!" She clutched the tablet to her chest with a look of bemused sternness. Except it was one of those see-through tablets only Tony and Pepper ever seemed to have, and Tony could read backwards perfectly comfortably. Which he could now do while looking at Pepper’s chest.

 

But Pepper was smiling, to, even if she did look embarrassed. "I wanted to make sure we covered all the important main points!" She looked up and Steve and made as if to give some kind of explanation, but Tony cut her off, grinning at Steve.

 

"Run now if you want to be in control of your own life. This woman will control your schedule for the rest of time if she gets her mitts on you."

 

She diverted attention back to Tony. "Steve doesn't need me to run his life. Unlike some spoiled people I know."

 

Tony glanced back towards Steve, who was still standing there, watching their affectionate banter and not sure how he fit in here. Tony gave him a once over with his eyes. "You just gonna stand there, Cap? I'd say we don't bite, but that would be a bald-faced lie."

 

Pepper elbowed him affectionately, then looked at Steve with a concerned smile. "Second thoughts?"

 

There was a flash of very real worry from Tony before Steve put up his hands. "No. No, I'm just trying to follow along."

 

He was startled how relived they both looked. That was a little thrill. Pepper patted the cushions next to her. He settled in on the side of her not occupied by Tony. They were both watching him avidly. Pepper spoke. "I hope this doesn't seem ridiculous to you. I really just...this is all really complicated and I want—I need to make sure we're all on the same page with regards to several things." He wasn't sure what to say to that, he felt a little like he was going to get in trouble.

 

"Pep, you're scaring him. Just do your thing."

 

"I'm just trying to figure out how to start this." She was blushing again.

 

"Oh, for—” Tony rolled his eyes. " _Now_ you turn all blushy and embarrassed." He looked at Steve. "She's not usually like this. Honestly, she's an absolute tiger." Pepper groaned faintly, bending her head over the tablet.

 

It was actually fairly reassuring. If even Pepper was a little out of her depth, Steve felt less bad about being out to sea. "Yeah, I...got that impression."

 

Tony actually laughed. She peered at him from behind the tablet. Tony snagged the tablet out of her hands. "Ok, Gimme.” Tony settled back. "What have we got here. Ok, thing number one. Exclusivity. Huh." He looked at Steve. "My understanding was that this was dating, not fucking around. AKA, we keep it between the three of us, any hanky-panky outside this is considered a no-no. Hanky panky in any combination within us three is fine. Yes?” They both looked at Steve. He was back to working on a slight delay, but he managed a nod. "Good." Tony looked down at the tablet. " Thing two: 'bringing up issues.' Ok, I know this one too.” he looked at Steve again. "Pepper and I laid ground rules that we have to bring up any insecurities, jealousy, what-have-you relationship ruiners as they show up. Because I am a kind of jealous bastard, so honestly this is a little bit of an experiment. Plus Pepper is possessive. Oh do not even give me that look. I'm not complaining. It's hot."

 

She snagged the tablet out of Tony's hands reprovingly. She looked back at Steve. "Is that ok?"

 

His first impulse was to agree immediately. He made himself slow down. This whatever-it-was was already going to be a delicate balancing act. If he had a problem with something, bringing it up early or wrong could risk toppling the whole thing. "What happens then?"

 

"We try to fix it." Pepper answered gently.

 

He swallowed. "And if that isn't working out?"

 

The two of them exchanged nervous glances in a tense silence. Tony cleared his throat quietly. "Pepper already went over the whole...love...thing. I think we'd both rather keep the core of the relationship intact and forgo the sweaty gropey parts of things rather than lose all of you. As a last resort." Tony's hand had found Pepper’s while he was talking.

 

Ok, breaking up rather than losing them both seemed fair. It stung, knowing that if that happened, they would stay together, and it would just be him out on his own but...

 

At the end of the day, Steve knew how to manage on his own. They'd known each other for so long. They had a kind of…symbiosis. He wouldn't want to have any hand in breaking that up. He was willing to tolerate heartbreak for them 3 hours ago, the chance at having something more shouldn't be an excuse to be less caring of them. He nodded. His voice was quieter. This still gave him a chance. “All right.”

 

The tension in the room reduced noticeably. Tony strayed true to form by breaking the remaining tension with a brightly stated "The next line item is sex. There’s a little bullet-pointed list."

 

Pepper rolled her eyes at Tony’s tactic. "Yes, there is. But, before Tony goes running his mouth or I say anything...I'd really like to know about what you want."

 

They both looked at him attentively. Steve's face burned. "This feels a lot like one of those magazine interviews that go off-color."

 

Tony perked. "Did you end up doing that Playgirl interview?"

 

"No."

 

"I told you he wouldn't. You shouldn't have even tried it."

 

"Hey, I had practical applications for the kind of information he might give out in an interview like that."

 

"Back to the subject at hand-" Pepper prompted.

 

Ok, he might like this ground rules laying idea better in concept than in practice. "I'm really not sure what you're asking."

 

She shook her head. "Sorry. Of course. How about we start with—do you even want this to be sexual? It doesn't have to be." Tony tried, and promptly failed, to cover up an absolutely baleful look, and nodded dutifully. "Tony is extremely cuddly, even outside the bedroom." Tony looked mildly put-out about that, but didn't argue.

 

Steve felt warm—verging into hot. He got offers. He wasn't a fool, he knew what he looked like, now. So he got offers from people. Sometimes he even noticed. But generally, that was all they were interested in, was the physical stuff. There wasn't any affection. Admiration, sure. And that felt good to, but not affection. They were proposing all this, and clearly wanting him, but wanting to date him even if it didn't end in bed. There was a lump in his throat. He managed a mute nod.

 

"Not good enough" Tony said promptly. Steve winced. Tony shifted, facing Steve squarely. "You want sex? With us?" Steve nodded again. "Then let me hear you say so."

 

His face burned. "Don't be crude."

 

Tony was resolute. "I'm not. Personal rule. If you can't even say it, you aren't ready to do it. That is a basic prerequisite for being ready to try something. Besides, good communication, clarity, blah blah all that important stuff."

 

Pepper cut in. "He didn't say he was ready yet. He just said he'd like it to be sexual. That doesn't mean right now."

 

Tony considered that, and nodded. "Ok. Fine. But I need to hear that beforehand. I don't need to feel like I’m fucking... _taking advantage_ of Steve's virtue or something." He looked Steve in the eye with open challenge. "You want something, you're going to have to be able to ask for it."

 

No. Steve might be inexperienced, but he didn't need to be babied. He wasn't meek. Not...not in anything else, anyways. And he trusted these two enough it'd be doing them a disservice to act like he couldn't speak to them plainly. Steve straightened his back, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin. He looked Tony in the eye, then Pepper. "I want this to be sexual. I want you both."

 

For a second, they both stared at him, wide eyed and silent. Pepper found her voice first, and sounded a little breathless. "Oh."

 

Tony sounded almost faint. "Good _goddamn_. Wow."

 

Steve couldn't hold onto this anymore. He dropped his chin, squeezing his eyes shut and putting one hand over his face. His lips curled in an embarrassed smile and a weak laugh got out of him. "I can't believe I just said that."

 

That set them both laughing, but it sounded sympathetic. Pepper’s hand found his and held on. He could hear the grin in Tony's voice. "So long as you meant it."

 

Steve nodded. The tension had eased some. He looked back at them both. "I meant it."

 

"I fucking hope so because seriously, that is going to haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. Christ that was hot."

 

"Ok." Pepper said, trying to recoup. "Um. Wow. Ok. So. Um. We don't want to rush you. So...um."

 

"She wants to know when we'll know how soon we can get to it. Like, if you're going to think we're total sluts if we try for it on the first date— _ouch._ Ok, third date. Pepper, for god’s sake, the man is thirty and he hasn't gotten laid. I'm just saying, he is probably more than ready."

 

"Don't push him. If he was in a hurry, he'd have done it by now." She switched gears, turning back to Steve. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to talk about you like you aren't here."

 

Steve smiled lopsidedly. "That's fine. I'm having a hard time believing that I'm here."

 

Tony leaned his head on his hand, propped by the couch arm. "God. Just adorable. Doesn't it just make you want to make him scream?" Tony's posture was casual, relaxed, but the way he was looking at Steve was avid, almost hungry.

 

Steve tried to ignore that, and focused on the question that had been directed at him. “I, um. Really wouldn't know. I don't think I have a...timetable."

 

She tilted her head. "Can you tell us when you feel ready?"

 

He swallowed, hard. "Yeah. I can do that."

 

Tony blew a long breath out through his nose, and adjusted the way he was sitting slightly. He clearly didn't like the answer, but was actively working on accepting it. "Should probably tell him about the kinky shit."

 

Pepper sighed, she was typing, fast and one-handed, on the tablet. "That's next. God, I should have just made a survey."

 

Tony grinned. "I can do that. Just keep up." He shifted forward again, looking at Steve. "I'll list em, you rate them by your level of interest, scale of one to ten. 1 being 'no way in hell', 5 being 'meh' and 10 being 'hell yeah take off your pants.' Or, if you don't know what I'm talking about, or you're not sure what I'm talking about, say so. I have plenty of useful information." There was an unmistakable dare in Tony's voice.

 

Steve's eyes widened. This was definitely debauched. But...exciting. And he could tell by the glint in Tony's eye he was going to push his luck. Steve rallied. "Ok. Shoot."

 

Tony's grin widened, but Pepper interrupted "Least to most extreme, please."

 

Tony nodded acceptance. "Ok. Oral. Receiving."

 

"Uhm. 8."

 

"Oral, giving."

 

"8"

 

Pepper looked up "Shouldn’t we specify that by gender?"

 

"Doesn't really matter to me." Steve said. She nodded, going back to typing their "survey" as it was created.

 

"Anal, giving."

 

"Ah, 9?"

 

"69"

 

"How would that even work with three people?"

 

"I could draw you a diagram."

 

"Nevermind. Still 8."

 

"Anal, receiving."

 

"Uhm. I...think I'd like to try it?"

 

"Rating, please."

 

Peppers voice was firm. "Tony, don't be an ass."

 

"Fine. having your hair pulled."

 

"What? Uhm. s...six."

 

"Serious use of fingernails."

 

He really hoped they weren't going to judge him for any of this. "Maybe...seven."

 

"Good call. Pepper's manicures are absolutely deadly. Blindfold."

 

"On who?"

 

"Hmmm. On you."

 

that seemed like a waste. "Four."

 

"On me?"

 

Surprising Tony had some appeal. "...six."

 

"On Pepper."

 

Her looking at him was still a little frightening. He'd probably feel more able to touch her without her watching. "seven." She glanced up at him with an approving smirk.

 

"Hmmmm" Tony was clearly enjoying this. "Handcuffs, on me."

 

He had to stop and think about that. It wasn't something he'd given a lot of thought to. He did sometimes get into...moods. But... "I'd rather do it myself than use cuffs."

 

Tony made an approving noise. "And Pepper?"

 

He wasn't sure he could hold Pepper. And he was pretty sure he'd feel worse holding down a woman, even a superpowered one who could take him apart with a look. "Uh, 3. Sorry?" She smiled, eyes on the screen as she kept typing.

 

"On you?"

 

This time he hesitated long enough she looked up at him. His heart pounded. "Ei....nine. But, not at first."

 

Tony made a gleeful noise like a giggle. Pepper ducked her head, not quite hiding a sharp grin. Steve crossed his legs. This conversation was becoming uncomfortable in a really compelling way.

 

"Gags. Like, in-the-mouth gags, not 'ha-ha', funny gags. Starting with...me."

 

"Skip it. two across the board."

 

"Likes to listen in. Ok." Tony nodded.

 

Pepper set down the tablet. "Tony, how did you get to gags without covering vaginal sex?"

 

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I assumed."

 

"Well, don't" she admonished.

 

"Uhm. Nine." he said. She smiled at him and went back to typing.

 

Tony listed every consensual sexual activity Steve had ever heard of- ice cubes, hot wax, a couple varieties of dirty talk, exhibitionism, cross-dressing, sex in the shower, sex in other rooms, spanking, riding crop use, video recording, the list went on and on. And a few of the words he recognized but had never heard of in relationship to sex before- scat, asphyxiation, and a few he didn't know the meaning of, like "age play" and “pegging”. By the end of it, his dick didn't know whether it was coming or going. Some of Tony's suggestions were entrancing. Others were flat-out horrifying, but by their smiles at his reactions, Tony really was listing _everything_ , not just his own favorites. Which was a relief. His answers overall must have been encouraging because Peppers smile at the screen kept getting wider.

 

"Ok, last one." Tony said. "...post-coital snuggling. Naked post-coital snuggling.” There was something sly in his tone, something evaluative that hadn't been there with the others. Pepper tapped a little more, then leaned back, watching him with a secretive smile.

 

He didn't want to come across like a pansy but...Pepper'd said Tony was a cuddler. And he'd been honest so far. He took a breath. "Ten." Tony looked startled. "Only, don't actually take you're pants off right now. Just...as a rating."

 

Peppers grin was blinding. "Well, at the risk of sounding too corporate, I think these results are extremely promising. Excellent compatibility. At least, excellent theoretical compatibility. Obviously, I'd expect some things to change with experience, but...yeah, I'd say this looks very good. No major mismatches at the very least." She looked at Steve. “Did we miss anything?”

 

“If you did, I can’t imagine what it was.”

 

She nodded. "Ok. Well. I don’t think we'll be able to go back to normal subjects of conversation now, but I do want to ask... what sort of dates are you most interested in? Going out? Staying in?"

 

Oh. Hm. "Well, I'd like to take you both out but... we couldn't really...I mean, I'm sure you don't want people knowing about this." he finished, a little glumly.

 

Part of him was pleased when they both looked a bit unhappy about that to. Tony said "Much as I would _really_ love to show you off-"

 

Pepper looked hesitant "Maybe just...not as first? Get ourselves settled before the get major media outlets involved?"

 

He nodded "Sure. That just doesn't leave a lot of date spots. Not public ones, anyways." and he couldn't have them over to his place. He didn't even have enough chairs for the three of them at once. "But what about you two? What do you like?"

 

"Pepper likes to dress up and show off. I like to stay at home and eat Chinese food and have sex."

 

Steve blinked. "That's going to make date planning kind of difficult."

 

Pepper shrugged "Less than you might think. Usually we just do them consecutively."

 

Tony stretched, flopping against the cushions. "Steve should come to that global warming awareness gala thing with us next week. Wait. I mean, Steve, would you like to come to a gala with us next week? Afterwards we can come back here and eat some actual food. Kick our shoes off."

 

Pepper looked at him hopefully. Actually asking him on a date. Returning the favor was going to be difficult, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. "Sure. Thanks...I hope I don't end up embarrassing you, though. I think my formal party etiquette is pretty out of date, and I went to fewer of those than you'd probably expect. Even when I was there, I was pretty much told who to talk to...there won't be dancing, will there?"

 

Pepper tilted her head. "Do you like dancing?"

 

"I've never done it."

 

Pepper goggled at him. "Never?" he shook his head.

 

"I don't even know how."

 

Tony waved a hand vaguely. "There's really not anything to know. It's pretty much just a basic clutch and sway these days."

 

He shifted uncomfortably. "I can probably just stay off the dance floor."

 

Tony pouted. "You're not even going to dance with your date. Or your other date? Pepper do we count as one date or two?"

 

"Two. How about if I showed you?"

 

Part of him rebelled at the idea. Peggy was supposed to show him. That was the agreement.

 

But she wasn't going to.

 

And Pepper and Tony were here. "Sure" he answered cautiously.

 

Pepper stood. "Jarvis, some music?"

 

Steve was startled. "Now?"

 

She turned to face him. "Sure, why not? You're already here. The gala is next week. Here, Tony, stand up and help me." she gestured to Tony to stand and join her.

 

"Nope." Tony answered.

 

"What? Why not?" She pouted.

 

Tony gave an aggravated sigh. "Because if I stand up right now Steve's going to see that I have a raging hard-on after all that talking about handcuffs and hair-pulling and blowjobs. I am only human, Pepper."

 

Steve flushed hot again, all at once. Pepper sighed. "Well, he already knows about it now. Quit being such a baby about it and help me."

 

"Dancing with you is not going to help matters."

 

Steve smiled. They were just so themselves. So perfectly themselves around him.

 

Tony slouched low on the couch, and looked at Steve. "How about you? Those were some pretty high ratings there, how are you faring?"

 

Had Tony really just—“Um.”

 

"Tony, don't ask him about—for God’s sake. Don't embarrass him."

 

"I'm sure Steve has nothing to be embarrassed about on that score." Tony answered easily. Pepper covered her face with her hand. Tony looked at Steve again. "So, Steve. What would you like to do? Dance lesson? Make out? Go home and re-evaluate your life choices? Watch some movies? We also have a pool. I don't have a swimsuit your size on hand but I have no problem with skinny-dipping. Naturally I'd skip my suit out of solidarity." Pepper hit him with a decorative pillow. "Ack! What? He never said he didn't want to tonight."

 

Steve tried to keep his voice level, and loud enough to be audible. "I think tonight might be a bit too..."

 

Steve could almost see gears clicking over in Tony's brain. He held up a hand. "Say no more. Patience. I can do patience. Music, J." He made a shooing gesture at Steve. "You. Up. Don't disappoint the lady. I'll provide instructive commentary."

 

Pepper offered him a hand up, and he took it, standing. She pulled him in close.

 

 

* * *

 

As soon as the elevator door closed on Steve’s bashfully smiling face, Pepper let herself sag against Tony. "Oh my _God_."

 

Tony looked at her, laughing. "I knew it. I _knew_ you were faking calm. You are so good at that."

 

She reached a hand behind her neck, pulling her hair up off her overheated skin. She really disliked being overheated, now. “I think I'm going to spontaneously combust."

 

"No, I fixed that. No spontaneous combustion allowed." he reached up, one gentle hand on either side of her face, pushing her bangs away. "This is the real source of tension between women and men, you know. That is not fair. You can fake it like your not affected."

 

"So could you if you wouldn't announce it to the world. Besides, redheads work at a disadvantage. I bet my face is still red." She could feel it, warm even over and above the heat through the rest of her.

 

"I didn't announce it to the world, I announced it to you and Steve. To whom it is presumably pertinent." his hands ran down her neck. Pepper chuckled. "Am I seriously getting flashcards? I don't think that'll do anything good for my productivity."

 

"You really are, yes. And actually you're remarkably productive when riled up. I bet if I sent you up to your workshop right now our stocks—”

 

"Do not even finish that sentence." His hands were continuing their slow decent down her body. She could have brought her hair down now, taken her hands off her neck, but Tony was staring and she wasn't above a bit of posing. He kept his hands flattened against her, maximizing every square millimeter her body and his hands could be in contact. Down in front of her shoulders, the sides of her torso, thumbs just skirting the edges of her breasts. She pulled her hands off her own neck and laced her fingers behind Tony's.

 

Tony's hands made it down to her hips, his eyes followed. "I can't believe he's waiting. He actually got in the elevator and left. What is that man made out of?"

 

She tilted her head. " Good manners.” She said. Tony snickered. " ‘Vita Rays’ and good manners."

 

"And inhuman self restraint" Tony added.

 

"I don't think I got that particular enhancement. I almost climbed in either your lap or his a few times there."

 

" _Handcuffs_." Tony groaned. "I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve this. I must have been Gandhi or something." He'd inched closer, and his hands were definitely lingering low on her sides.

 

"I don't think that's how that works." She answered absently. But yes. There were a few high points in that conversation, and that had been one of them. Imagining Steve laid out with his hands bound above his head, probably blushing but with challenge in his eyes and the wicked grin he probably didn't even know he had. Oh, the things she could do to him. The things he’d said he _wanted_ her to do to him. The things she could watch Tony do. Or if she and Steve ganged up on Tony...

 

Tony rested his head against her shoulder, and his hot breath on her neck was a startlingly real contact when she felt so ready. She felt Tony swallow. "He can't be that calm. I mean there's no way he wasn't affected. Probably the second he gets home—“ Tony trailed off, Peppers eyes unfocused at the thought. Steve clearly hadn't been unaffected. And he'd be used to taking care of things on his own. She understood how that went. She'd been on her own for years when she was Tony's PA.

 

But the thought of Steve, in his apartment, hard and heavy in his own hand, thinking about her and Tony and the things they’d asked him about...maybe biting his lip...imagining the same things she just had been...

 

"Tony?" he hummed against her neck. "I'm going to need you to fuck me. A lot. Right now. Like, _right_ now."

 

He grinned against her neck, his voice a smug, quiet rumble. "Yes ma'am."

 

They didn’t make it to the bedroom. They didn’t even try. After all that talk of every imaginable kink, the cool, hard marble flooring suited her just fine, felt fantastic on her overheated skin.

 

Tony was giddy, tossing clothes away cheerfully instead of just letting them drop. Hers, his, between the two of them most of the furniture in the room had one flung piece of clothing snagged on it and she didn’t even know where her shoes had ended up. She egged him on, trying to hurry him up, because until he’d finished what he’d started his focus was on the clothes and she needed his hands, his lips, his body on her _immediatly._ She didn’t try to remove any of the garments herself, though. Tony was clearly reveling in his chosen task, kneeling in front of her.

 

Tony’s pants were the last to go- nothing underneath them to remove, and she relaxed her body against the floor, bringing her hands up to pull her hair away from her neck again, this time pooling it around her head with just a little unnecessary arch to her back and giving Tony an impatient look. It hadn’t ever worked very well when she worked for him. It turned out to work very well when they were having sex. Although now it got Tony off on the wrong track if she did look at him impatiently when they were dealing with actual business.

 

He responded with a wide, filthy grin as he chucked his pants behind his shoulder. “Fuck, I love it when you get all pose-y at me. Have I said in the last five minutes that you’re completely gorgeous?”

 

She scanned her memory quickly. “Yes, actually.” She smiled. “Steve agreed with you.”

 

He leaned over her, bracing himself on both arms. “Very perceptive, our Captain. Occasionally very good taste.” He leaned over her, biting at her neck and along her shoulder before pinching at her nipple. She arched, made a surprised squeak noise that she hated but always made Tony grin and try whatever he’d done again. Which he did.

 

She reached one leg up, wrapping it around his hips and tugging down. Too hard, and he fell on top of her with a yelp, since his knees had no traction against the smooth floor and Pepper had miscalculated the force. She grimaced an apology. “Sorry. I just…can we _get to it_ , please.” Tony was disoriented for a second by the fall, then gave her a look she couldn’t quite read, part disbelief and part something else. Damn. Maybe she’d embarrassed him with this. Distraction time. She writhed under him meaningfully, let her tilt towards pleading. “ _Tony-_ ” She tightened her thighs on the outside of his legs, tilting her head back slightly. That should get her meaning across.

 

That seemed to put Tony back on stable footing, and he smirked slyly at her. It would have been more sly if his erection wasn’t pressing against her, just above where she needed it to be… “In a hurry, all of a sudden?”

 

She ran her fingers up the back of his head, fingernails scratching lightly through his hair, and those perfect black lashes fluttered. “What ‘all of a sudden’? As far as I’m concerned the last three and a half hours were foreplay. That’s plenty.”

 

He stretched his neck to scrape a canine along the shell of her ear, still refusing to move his hips. “But I have so many _ideas_ now—“

 

She allowed herself a shiver at the sensation before grasping a fistful of short hair firmly in her hand and tugging- this time remembering to do so gently, to make him look her in the eye. He was panting, his eyes were gleaming. “Tony Stark I have been _so good_. Now get your dick where I need it or I will put you on your back and keep you there till I’m satisfied.”

 

He exhaled, mouth hanging open slightly. “God I love you.” He said, sounding completely enraptured.

 

And it was so ridiculously, beautifully Tony she had to laugh at that, releasing his head. Give him a romantic evening and his talk would be filthy. Talk dirty to him and you got declarations of love. Well, if you were Pepper, anyways. She was looking forward to seeing Steve’s reaction the first time it happened to him. She leaned her head up and kissed him.

 

Finally, he moved, shifting back to line up correctly and to see what he was doing. His eyebrows raised and he looked pleased. “Mm, lube isn’t going to be a problem.” She kicked his butt lightly with her heel, spurring him on before he got distracted. “Ok, ok.”

 

He knelt again, settling her rear on his thighs in a position that would have given her a hell of a backache before Extremis, and eased in slowly.

 

Her breath locked in her chest at the first slow expansion, and she closed her eyes. _Yes._ She locked her feet together at the small of his back, and stayed relaxed, letting him move her around as needed. He’d find the best angle. He always did. He slid in deep, and she exhaled. He shifted forward, bracing himself on one arm and angling his hips _just right_ for the deep, steady thrusts.

 

No matter what they did, no matter what kinky or ridiculous thing they tried, sex with Tony always had the comforting, easy edge of familiarity. She had memorized his body. Every muscle, callus, and hair. Most of his medical record and every one of his scars. The feeling if his dick—in her hand, pressed against her leg, on her tongue, or buried inside her. She knew its every vein and ridge. She knew its temperature, its scent. She knew damn well Tony thought it was sexy when she got possessive. He wasn’t used to people taking the time to memorize him, to demand every part of him. She could try just about anything with Tony, because it always came down to his body and hers. His was more familiar to hers than her own was, now.

 

And now they’d add Steve. And she’d map him and memorize him and keep him. She’d learn every noise he could make and how to make it happen. She and Tony would. And she’d try anything with them. Because at the end of the day it would still be two warm, familiar bodies attached to strong, fierce hearts she could trust with herself and with each other.

 

She ran her nails down his spine, just because he’d praised that, and he hissed, speeding up. She gave a high, breathless noise, spreading her legs further in invitation. She was wet—and the slick smoothness of his movements was perfect. Her body was comfortably accustomed to his, the fullness expected and right. It wouldn’t push her over the edge, but the deep, almost effortless movements of his body in hers was what she was craving now. The heady friction before the fall could wait.

 

This was romance to her—more than the roses or the jewelry or the _bunnies_ , there was this. Tony, naked and wanting and trying to please her but not, in this moment, trying to impress her, trusting that she was already invested in him. Not that she didn’t like it when he tried to impress her with sex—he usually succeeded and his creativity was definitely to be admired, but there had been such a relief in the first time sex between them had been simple like this. Just two bare, slick bodies that had to have each other.

 

She pulled on his shoulders—carefully—and he obliged, moving with her pull. She drew her knees up, making room for him as he pressed as much of himself flush against her as he could. She’d been surprised, after the surgery, how much she’d noticed the reactor’s absence against her at times like these. His body had been returned to something near normal, just after her’s had been made into something else. Something strange and science fiction. She didn’t miss its glow. After Obidiah no amount of innovation or heroism could erase the note in her mind that always reminded her that the hole in his chest was a vulnerability of his she couldn’t hide away for only herself and the people who loved him. Now there was a scar—proof of what he could survive and grow from, but no longer a hole that others could exploit. No tunnel in towards the heart she needed to protect. The heart she was sure Steve would protect, too.

 

His jaw rested against her collarbone as he panted. He changed the angle of his hips, snapping up into her with staccato pressure on the sweet spot. The sensation washed through her, making further thought next to impossible. She felt her legs squeeze his side, almost noticing it was too hard but without enough mind left to figure out what to do about it. One of his hands had squirmed under the small of her back, clutching onto her.

 

Her head tilted towards his. The angle was wrong for her to be able to see his face, but the gentle prickle of sweat- damp hair against her nose and the smell of his shampoo was worth something. She could feel his eyelashes flickering against her neck, and he nuzzled forward into it. Her arms locked around him, one across his shoulders, the other holding his head against her, where the smells and texture of him were immediately accessible. He responded to the admittedly possessive move with another slight shift forward, and increased speed.

 

She let out a high, shuddering noise, and he responded with a shuddering moan of his own. He liked it when she made noises. She started moving her own hips to match him, not because she needed to, but to show him her approval of his pace.

 

He shifted, trying to move his head away from her shoulder, but unable to move with her holding on. It took her a second of his tugging for her to register the movement and prepare the appropriate response of loosening her grip. As soon as she did, he surged forward to catch her in a deep, burning kiss. He was shaking a little, getting close.

 

She planted her feet on the cool marble and spread her thighs, angling her hips in an invitation he would recognize. He made a relived sound almost like words but nothing she could make out, and gripped one of her hips in rough fingers, picking up speed and force in his movements. She moaned loudly. He tilted his head back, exposing his throat to her  as he angled his chest upwards. She ran fingers and nails over him— skimming his nipples and the sensitive areas where neck met collar bone, avoiding the nearly nerveless area where the reactor had been that was now an expertly doctored patch of smooth white scar.

 

He looked down at her and gave a breathless, lascivious grin with hooded eyes and sweat trickling down his face before his eyes squeezed shut suddenly. His head snapped backwards and his mouth opened as his climax caught him offgaurd- a rare and stunning sight. He slammed into her, jerking slightly as he came.

 

She missed the movement immediately, still needing. But she could wait. Tony had never yet left her wanting, and she was sure he wasn’t going to start tonight. He only took a few breaths to clear his head, and he was easing out of her, moving purposefully down her body. There was no hesitation. His tongue darted out to taste her the moment it was in range, zeroing in directly on her clit.

 

This time she screamed, back arching in earnest as one hand grabbed his hair again. One of his arms curled around her thigh. The other hand joined his face, two fingers skimming lightly along her labia before pinching perfectly at the edge of her inner thigh. There was nothing of a show in her writhing now, or her shaking. His tongue lapped eagerly between her folds as one finger then another slid inside her and arched around, seeking the response he was looking for. He found it in short order.

 

Tony was _good_ at this. He licked, sucked, he could even manage a tiny bit of tooth without startling her and getting accidentally kicked in the head. Within minutes she was an incoherent mess. Her body squirmed and arched and she wasn’t consciously controlling any of it. Her body had heated the stone under her so she could hardly feel it anymore. All she could feel was Tony and a feeling that she had everything she could want.

 

When she came, it whited out even that. Her whole being was down to the noises flying from her throat and the pleasure flooding her.

 

When she was partly aware again, Tony was peppering light kisses along the inside of her thigh, eyes closed and expression dreamy. She stroked through his hair, and he turned his head to look at her. Yes. Tony was hers. And she’d give him to Steve, too. If that wasn’t the ultimate gift, she didn’t know what was. He smiled smugly at her, then closed his eyes, leaning into her stroking. He took a slow, contented breath before sitting up.

 

He moved to her side. She watching him, too limply tired to do much else. He looked her over, thoughtfully. “Yeah. I can do that.”

 

One still strong strong hand tucked under her knees, and one under her back. She sat up slightly to accommodate before she realized what he was doing. He grunted as he transferred her weight to against his chest, then again as he pushed himself to his feet. She weighed more now, after Extremis—her muscles were denser, and he’d had to recover from major surgery and really probably shouldn’t be doing this. But once he got to his feet he grinned at her triumphantly. She laughed, and rested her head against his arm. This was silly, but she did feel very comfortable, very safe, and very loved. He kissed her temple and turned, carrying her off into bed and the cuddling he would inevitably be after. She was only too happy to oblige him.

 

 


	2. Chapter Steve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody has bad days sometimes. Steve just wished this one hadn't come on the same day as his first date with Tony and Pepper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stressful test is over! So, here to celebrate is chapter 2. Chapter 3 may be a while, since I'm still ironing out the order of a few things.
> 
> PS, I'm constant-instigator on Tumblr, and I sometimes talk about fic stuff over there, if you wanna come say hi.

 

Steve straightened his tie for the hundredth time, looking in the mirror. He wanted to be excited. He desperately wanted to be excited. If he could just clear his head this could be one of the best nights he’d ever had. He had everything to look forward to. Two of the most incredible people he’d ever met wanted to take him out. He had a good suit that fit him and there’d be good food and all the things he’d hoped for during the war, when everything had been scarce.  Then afterwards he could go with them, because he didn’t have to impress them, not really, and they liked him to speak plainly. So that was a pretty sure thing, right? And then he could go however far he could manage and it would feel so good.

Except he wasn’t excited. He was petrified. And, more than that, he felt alone. Getting ready in his empty apartment. Bucky’d been there to heckle him through the preparation for every date he’d ever been on. Mostly because he’d set most of them up. And now Steve was going to a party where he knew exactly two people and everyone else there would be the kind of high-society Steve’d had to talk to in his trained monkey days. He’d spend the whole time feeling stiff and uncomfortable and out of place, watching his accent and his grammar and wishing he could just be at ease like everybody else. And Tony and Pepper would probably have to schmooze for part of the night and he’d have to fend for himself. And as stunning as they both were, as much as he'd been fantasizing all week about touching them, his sex drive just wasn't with him today. It never was when he felt like this. He had his hands full with his memories and his heart and didn't have anything left over for his body’s wants.

He shouldn’t have taken that nap in the afternoon. That’d been dumb. But he’d gotten less sleep than even he needed the night before, and he wanted to be well rested, since this was sure to be a late night. He hadn’t expected to dream from such a short nap.

He didn’t know what to call dreams like those. They weren’t nightmares. While they were going on Steve felt fine. He’d dream of the war, sure, but usually not the fights. He’d just dream of him and his men and Bucky, bullshitting or playing cards or making plans. Just mundane dreams so vivid they could almost have been memories. Or he’d dream about Peggy, riding in a car someplace together and talking, wondering if he’d ever be able to kiss her.

This time he’d dreamed he was finally going out with Peggy, and all the commandos were giving him endless shit about it as he got ready. His brain mixing up his history and his plans.

Then he’d woken up. No Bucky, no DumDum, no Gabe, no Peggy. No backup.

He told himself he was just having one of his bad days. It’d pass. It always did. And today he had someplace to be- something to do to keep him from getting lost in his head and wasting hours staring at nothing. Something really great, if he could just get his head in the game.

He straightened his tie again.

He didn’t want them to see him like this.

That was a lie. He desperately wanted them to see him like this. He’d had that with Bucky; someone to be weak in front of.  With Buck it’d been easy, a kid reaching for another kid in the wake of a parent’s death. There’d been nothing to be ashamed of there. But now Steve was a grown man, a war hero, an icon, whatever that meant really, and he’d lost just too many people. The pain of it was too big to drop on just anybody. They’d run. Of course they would. Nobody wanted a burden like that.

Except, he thought Tony and Pepper might. He’d dropped a piece of it, here or there. At first it was to make Tony feel better. In the beginning, Tony had seen Steve the way the rest of the world did- an invulnerable stone monolith of a man. A legend, not a human. He’d been furious when Steve had come to see him when he was recovering from surgery. He’d been struggling, his chest aching and his breath coming short under bandages. They called them panic attacks now, and Tony somehow didn’t think Steve had ever seen a soldier have one before. Because Tony hadn’t ever been to war. He didn’t know how much soldiers relied on each other. So, Steve had given a piece of his own weakness as a peace offering. Not a heavy piece. But if Tony wanted to talk about insomnia and nightmares, Steve could easily keep pace.

It had been enough to get him an invitation back. A few more hints of his own weakness, and Tony seemed to trust him. Then Tony’d told Pepper, because Tony told Pepper damn near everything, and Steve could tell because her attitude towards him shifted immediately. She turned so gentle. It was embarrassing. He was so thankful for it.

But damn it, this was a first date. You didn’t bring your bleeding mess of a heart to a party. You just didn’t. You stowed it away someplace for a while and tried to be charming and you focused on the person…people…you were there with. Not the ones you lost. The dance partner in your arms, not the one you lost your chance at.

This shouldn’t be this hard.

He straightened his tie again. He’d been offered something amazing here. Pepper and Tony were both brilliant, hard-working, sophisticated, elegant, caring, funny, beautiful people. They saw him as a person and liked him. Said they loved him. He owed it to them to be mentally present for his date. His phone rang. His cab was here.

He checked his reflection once more, and headed out.

The night was pleasantly cool, just right for a tux, and he piled himself in the back seat of the cab.

He spent the whole ride there trying to give himself a pep talk.

He’d saved the world. He’d fought aliens. He beat Schmidt.

That didn’t work at all.

He’d been loved before. He’d cared about people and been cared about in return. He’d earned that—from Buck and his men, and Peggy and, now, from Tony and Pepper.

That worked a little better.

The car stopped at the venue—some high end plaza Steve didn’t recognize. He paid the man and stepped out into a well-dressed milling crowd slowly heading inside in groups. There was a flash as someone took his photo. He didn’t bother to turn to look. He was here on display—no sense being mad at anyone for that. He even thought he looked pretty good in his tuxedo. Heads turned.

He’d really rather have been in a little bar somewhere with some decent music and a few people he knew. Normal people. People who drank beer. People who didn’t look at him like a specimen or a relic or a myth.

He heard a voice from somewhere behind him in the crowd, shouting a warm greeting  to someone unspecified. For a second, it sounded exactly like Peggy. He turned to look behind him before he even had a chance to question it, and felt immediately like an idiot for it.

How long would he keep doing that? He kept thinking he’d at least accepted that they were all gone, but at least once a week he’d see a face, a person from behind, or hear a voice, and almost call out to them, as if he’d just been on his own cause he couldn’t find anyone, not because they were all well and truly gone.

He was so busy reminding himself he was imagining things he almost didn’t register the next familiar voice calling his name. It called him a few more times. Finally, a hand landed on his arm. Solid and present and real. Tony. “Hey, Cap. Something happen to your hearing since last week? I’ve been calling you.”

Pepper appeared next to him, looking concerned. “Steve? Are you all right?”

He stared at them a moment. Pepper had her hair swept up off the long pale column of her neck. Her clear, bright eyes looked up at him with concern, studying him. Her dress was sleek and strapless and showed off perfectly shaped shoulders, crowned with the necklace Tony’d had made for her out of the shrapnel that had been inside his heart. Next to her, Tony was in a trendy, dapper suit that had been meticulously tailored to him. Tony was watching him warily, not trusting his ability to read people well enough to study him outright the way Pepper did. His hand squeezed Steve’s arm, lightly.

He’d been here less than 3 minutes and already he was spoiling their evening. He forced himself to smile back at them, but didn’t try to cover his unease. “Sorry. Just kinda— _kind of_ -“ he corrected himself “taking the lay of the land.”

He couldn’t tell what Tony thought of that. Pepper looked moderately reassured. Tony patted his arm. “Well, we were just waiting for you. Ready to go in?”

Steve nodded, trying not to look like it was taking all his effort to be focused on the present, and followed them inside

 

* * *

 

For the first time tonight, Pepper was by herself in the crowd. Well, not really by herself. She knew a lot of the people here. But Steve had excused himself to find a restroom, and a restless Tony had followed a few seconds later, looking determined. She really hoped Tony had better sense than to try to talk Steve into oral sex in the public restroom.  He'd hardly been drinking, so he should hopefully be able to behave himself. More likely, he was going to try and corner Steve into explaining why he seemed so out of sorts tonight. She'd like to know, herself.

 She had her phone in a clutch purse, and it vibrated a new message. She apologized to the industry leaders she'd been talking to, and checked the message. **Up in the 3rd floor offices. Left the door unlocked.** from Tony **.**

Privacy. Well, that was nice, if not exactly good etiquette. She made her way through the crowd, holding her phone and taking long strides. Now that she was a CEO, people didn't try to stop for smalltalk if she looked busy and had a phone out, no matter what the venue was. The elevator let her off on the restricted floor without incident.

 She could hear Tony as soon as she stepped off, just down the hall. “Because if you’re having second thoughts-“

 She followed Tony’s anxious voice through an open office door. The room was full of cubicles and old computers, and Tony standing a couple feet from Steve, who was leaning with the backs of his legs against a desk, head bent and arms braced. They both looked up as she entered. “You could have waited for me.” she admonished Tony.

 Tony sighed heavily. “I can't take this anymore.”

 Steve ran a hand over his face. “I really didn’t—please, just…”

 Tony was wound up, anxious, with anger in his voice covering for him, but just barely. “Just what? Leave you alone?”

 Steve didn’t look up, but his shoulders knotted suddenly. He didn’t raise his voice, but there was a sharpness to it. “No.”

 Pepper stepped forward. Steve was miserable, had been miserable all night. This wasn’t helping. Tony watched her step towards Steve, and took half a step back, letting her take the lead. She put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Steve.” He looked at her, cautiously hopeful. “Maybe you can just tell us what’s going on?”

 He looked at her, so apologetic “I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I don’t want to ruin you’re night.”

 Tony was irritated. “Then don’t _make_ us worry.”

 Steve gave a sort of…facial flinch. “I’m sorry. I’m trying.”

 Pepper ran her arm up and down Steve’s sleeve. “Then maybe let us know what’s going on?”

 Steve looked frustrated. Most likely at himself. “This isn’t the time.”

 Stubborn. Why did she love the obstinate ones? “Can you at least tell us whether you’re having second thoughts about us?”

 His hand came up to rest lightly on the back of her arm. He shook his head. “No. Just having a…” he paused, and glanced up at Tony. “Kind of a rough day. That’s all. It’s…I’m actually happy to be here, with you both, I just—“

 She leaned over and kissed his cheek. His eyes closed, and he turned towards her. A bad day. She understood bad days. Tony had bad days. Less frequently, she had bad days. She’d never seen one of Steve’s before, but she and Tony had both assumed they’d occurred. He’d lost so much. “Tell us what you need?”

 He tried to take a step back, but the boxy desk was in his way. He shook his head. “Look, I’ll try and get my head in the game. I’m ok, really.”

 “Oh, bullshit.” Tony snarked tiredly. He sounded almost resigned.

 Steve smiled self-deprecatingly “Ok, maybe not. But I get by. And by tomorrow it’ll probably be feeling better. Just a rough day, is all. I’m sorry it had to be today. I was looking forward to this.”

 She leaned forward, slipping an arm around him. “It’s ok.”

 Tony sounded disgruntled. Probably because there was a problem and he couldn’t fix it. “It’s fine. We do this kind of thing all the time. No big deal.”

 Steve didn't look especially reassured “But it was supposed to be our first date.”

 Steve was newer to her, but she had a suspicion what to do here. She leaned against him, and his arms came up to circle around her, pulling her close. Yep. She’d acquired another cuddler. That was fine. That was easy. She planted a peck on his cheek. “Well, it’s not over yet. How can we make it better?”

 Tony put a hand up “I vote takeout and nudity.”

 Steve laughed, it was watery, but real. He understood Tony. He leaned towards Pepper. “You don’t have to go home because of me.”

 Tony snorted. "Another one." He pointed at Pepper, looking at Steve. "She does the same thing. Won't say half the things she wants. Don't you start to. I am bad at this kind of guesswork."

 Pepper barely suppressed an eye roll. It wasn't _exactly_ untrue. Half was a bit much, though. She didn't get here by being passive, after all. Steve didn't move away from her, but he turned his head to the side, not looking at either of them, acutely embarrassed. Steve did need to learn it was ok to ask for things. “Enough. We _want_ to know what you want, Steve. Ok?”

 Steve held still, he looked at her, searching her face. His shoulders relaxed, shifting a little more of his weight against her. “Ok.” He nodded. “Ok.” He took a breath, thinking. “I just…" he shrugged "I don’t know what that is.”

 “I do.” Tony cut in. “Come home with us.” His voice turned slightly defensive. “I mean it. Don’t go home. I’ve seen your apartment. It’s depressing. It’s empty. Come hang out. Nudity optional. Just, y’know. Come with us.”

 She tightened her grip on Steve, backing up Tony’s invitation. “We’d love to have you.”

 Steve hesitated, but he was smiling. “I’m not much fun right now.”

 Tony sneered. They both knew how much Steve had seen of Tony’s bad days. “Shut up.”

 Steve laughed, and held her a little tighter. “Ok. Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

Tony managed to get his arm around Steve’s shoulders on the limo ride home. Pepper had one of Steve’s hand in hers, and Steve’s shoulder was leaned against Tony’s, which was amazing. This was working. This was actually working. Steve was trusting them. He wanted what they were offering. Tony wasn’t really used to people seeing him as an emotional support, but he wanted to be. With Pepper backing him up, he felt pretty sure he could be.

 Steve’s expression had turned haunted again. His eyes were staring a million miles, or, 70 years, away. Tony understood that. Understood sometimes getting unstuck from the present. He had to drag Steve back to tonight. Whatever was back there with Steve wasn't doing him any good.

 Up at the penthouse suite, J pulled up the lights to low. Booty call mode. Well, J wasn’t quite up on what Tony had been up to tonight. Anyways, the low light was also good for feeling less exposed, and Steve probably already felt exposed, being all disregulated in front of them.

 Tony had the beginnings of a plan. A plan based on Steve’s own stated preferences. He started by reaching a hand around Steve’s neck to gently pull him down for a kiss. Just like every other contact he’d been offered that night, Steve leaned into it. There was no heat to this kiss. Steve’s lips were soft and pliant against Tony’s. Yeah, this would work.

 Pepper was still holding on to Steve’s hand. “Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”

 Steve shook his head. He looked so fucking lost. “I’m not hungry, thanks.”

 Not hungry? Fuck. How bad was this? Steve was always hungry, and tree-huggers always skimped on food at their functions. Better get started. “Ok.” Tony pulled off his jacket, tossing it on the couch. “Rogers, loose the jacket and tie. I think we’re done with formalwear for the evening.” Tony loosened and removed his own tie. “Kick off your shoes, get comfortable.”

 Steve hesitated, second guessing, but shrugged off his jacket. Hmm. Pepper was more complicated. That dress was sort of there or not. He doubted it was very comfortable. She sat on the couch, removing her shoes, and showing a good amount of leg. No. Not time for thinking about Pepper’s legs. “Pep, honey. Why don’t you go slip into something a little more comfortable.”

 Steve’s head came up, an expression almost like alarm on his face. He looked so painfully uncomfortable. Pepper looked up at Tony evaluatively. Tony spread his hands with an eye roll. “Actually comfortable. PJs or something. Actually, that’s a good idea. Steve, we’ll be right back.”

 He ushered Pepper into the bedroom as she watched him curiously. Once the door was closed, he held her shoulders, turning her away from him. She let him, and he reached up to undo the clasp on the necklace. “What are you planning?”

 “I” he fiddled with the stupid clasp “Did my homework. Time for number 10.”

 “Ten? I didn’t number them.”

 “Rating ten. There was only one of them.”

 He got the clasp undone, but she gathered the chain in her hand before he could lift it off her. She was protective of this necklace. More than any other gift he’d given her. Even than the good ones she’d picked out herself. There was a smile in her voice. “You brought him home to cuddle him.”

 “Yeah.”

 He headed towards his dresser, unbuttoning his shirt. He hoped she didn’t think that was stupid. Steve was alone. And more than any of the enticingly dirty things they’d discussed, that was the thing Steve said he wanted the most. And it was easy to provide. There was silence as Pepper considered his plan. He didn’t look at her, but could hear the zipper, followed by the quiet hiss of fabric. He rummaged through a drawer and picked out something plaid and dark and pretty damn un-seductive for PJ pants, and a loose old t-shirt. There. Steve couldn’t think Tony was trying to put the moves on him dressed like this. That should lower the tension some.

 He changed, dropping his evening wear on the dresser. She had her own dresser, and he heard a drawer open, then another pause. “You’re wearing that?”

“Yuh-huh.” 

“Hm.”

Barefoot and flannel-clad, he turned to find Pepper in a pair of short sleep shorts and a Stark Expo t-shirt. Aw. He loved it when she wore that. The Expo had been…well, problematic, but it was where they shared their first kiss. Plus, if Tony was honest, he liked her wearing his name. He suspected she knew that, and her going out of her way to indulge him warmed his heart. She was pulling pins out of her hair, letting down the last of it. She turned to look at him. “But don’t you think he’ll feel a little overdressed? I feel bad leaving him out there in his tuxedo.”

 “I’m hoping we can get him down to boxers. I bet he wears boxers.”

 “Well, his slacks are probably fairly comfortable, as long as he takes off the belt.”

 “Probably, but I don’t know about for sleeping in.”

 Her eyebrows rose. “Sleeping? You want him to stay the night?”

 “Yeah. Don’t you?”

 “I think we should ask him, first.”

 Fair point. “Well, Ms Potts” he held the bedroom door open and gestured.

 She kissed him on the cheek with one of the encouraging smiles she gave him when he did well. He loved those. Things that earned him that smile were just about always a good idea. He was on the right track, then.

 They re-entered the living room to see Steve leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, head bent down slightly, staring into space. He’d untied his tie. It hung limply around his neck. Less than 5 minutes they’d been gone and he’d fallen back into himself. He did look up when they came back. He registered their clothes—and Tony couldn’t imagine that this would have been considered seductive even in the 40s. He was, understandably, confused. And shit, confused led to bad things. Whenever Steve was confused he seemed to blame it on being out of touch with the present decade, rather than on the people around him being weirdos. Tony clapped his hands together. “So, we obviously don’t have any pants that are going to fit you, but I do have a spare toothbrush or seven, and you can sleep in those slacks, can’t you? Otherwise—shorts?”

Pepper kept walking towards Steve “What Tony means is, would you like to spend the night? I told you, he’s a cuddler. Theres no pressure if you don't want to, or if you just want to cuddle. Whatever you're comfortable with.”

Steve still looked confused. Tony tried to clarify.“Mm. You don’t really seem to be in the mood for anything…energetic. But, you do look tired which is…weird on you. So, lets put you to bed. Come on, Rogers. Chop chop. Bed time for superheroes.”

Steve sat up straighter, looking at them, brows drawn low in confused scrutiny. “What…this is a …a sleepover?”

Tony nodded to the side. “No sleeping bags. Just one really big bed.” He outlined the bigness of it with his hands.

Steve stared at him again. There was something in his expression—the tilt of his eyebrows and the slope of his shoulders. Some strong emotion kept in check that Tony couldn’t identify. To him it looked like longing but also sort of like fear. He wished he could just ask Pepper, she would know. However she interpreted it, she didn’t seem to think it posed a problem. She tilted her head. “Yes, this is still considered strange by most people’s standards. We do have a guest room if you’d like to stay nearby but want to keep things more…normal for tonight. I’m sure we can also stay up a bit if you’d like.”

 Tony shrugged. This seemed like overcomplicating via an excess of options to him, but “Sure. Any of that. And if you _want_ a sleepover I’m sure we could arrange scary movies and popcorn and…fuck I don’t know, manicures or whatever it is people do on sleepovers. Blanket fort? I bet I could build an epic blanket fort.”

Steve sat back, his expression clearing some. A little more present.

Tony shrugged. "Look, you can put it on me if it makes you feel better. Pepper’s right. I'm a cuddler. You seem to be too, so hey, it's on offer. You in?"

It was weird because Steve didn't say anything. He just looked at them, then pushed himself upright, then padding over towards them in sock-clad feet. He looked a little lost, a little confused. He seemed almost…obedient, which was just weird. But Pepper wrapped one of her arms around his, and he let himself be led to the bedroom. The quiet put Tony on edge, but he honestly couldn't think of anything to say. Suddenly silent Steve seemed more...fragile. He didn't want to mess this up.

Steve seemed to rouse a little once they got there, staring down the bed like it was a battlefield. Which...but not tonight. Tony at least thought of something to say.  He gestured to Steve's shirt. "You sleeping in the button up, there, Cap?"

Steve blinked, looking down at himself. He opened his mouth as if he was going to talk, then just shook his head.

Tony continued. "I mean, you can if you want to."

Steve shook his head again, but his fingers seemed to stumble a little over the buttons. Which was a whole other level of alarming because Steve had flawless reflexes. Then again, he'd almost dropped his fork 4 times when they'd had dinner, and had stepped on Pepper’s feet at dance practice, so maybe it wasn't 100% a sign of a mental breakdown. If dinner made him drop his fork, maybe topless in their bedroom warranted button troubles.

Pepper decided to save him. She started unfastening his buttons with a sort of innuendo-free efficiency. That was another Pepper thing. He liked it when she wore his logo, she seemed to like dressing, undressing and grooming him. Tony wasn't surprised she'd take to doing the same to Steve. She'd be buying Steve clothes, soon. Which could not come fast enough. 

As it was, Steve seemed to recognize the gesture for the non-sexual, caring act it was, and let her unbutton his shirt. He shrugged it off, and Pepper took it from him, folding it automatically to set it on the dresser. He handled his belt himself, which she also took from him and set on her dresser. 

Tony, meanwhile, made himself comfortable on the bed, keeping to the far right, yanking down blankets as he went and cramming pillows into the correct shape. He climbed in, getting most of his legs under the covers before turning back to them. Pepper serenely walked around to the other side of the bed and Tony patted the space between them invitingly.

 Steve crawled across from the foot of the bed—a move Tony would need an encore of later under different circumstances. As soon as Steve was even sort of settled Pepper reached down to pull the blankets up over them both. Steve watched, mystified, as of someone pulling up blankets was an amazing feat. Tony used the distraction to snake an arm across where Caps neck would go so when he laid down, he was already half in Tony's arms.

Steve did lay down, and Pepper immediately cuddled in against his back, wrapping an arm around his waist. Tony settled in against his front, arranging himself so Steve's head was just below Tony's chin—a little risky since this position had such an obvious dynamic to it, but he was willing to bet on this. He reached his other arm against Steve's side, just touching where Pepper was wrapped around him, as he felt her hair against his arm curled under Steve's neck.

Steve didn't seem to know what to do with his arms. They were both just sort of curled against his chest, like he couldn't decide where to put them. Explicit permission needed. Tony reached down to the one on top, and pulled it around his own torso. Which...yeah ok that felt pretty damn good. 

Except Steve was tensing, and pulled his arm back, and Tony could feel his breath speeding up. He couldn't see Steve’s face from here. Was this the wrong play? He'd felt so sure.

 Tony pushed on ahead, pressing a kiss against Steve's forehead and stroking a hand over his hair. Steve stopped breathing. He was so tense he almost seemed to be trembling. He heard Pepper shift. Her voice was tentative. "Steve?"

Steve's voice was tight, high, holding back from breaking. "I. I um." Words at last. Sort-of.

 Tony tightened his grip, curling as close as he could. More reassurance? "Bad day. We get it. It's fine."

 This time Steve's voice was rough, and held a little tremble. "Yeah?"

 Pepper made a tiny, heartbroken sound, and the bed bounced as she shifted closer and tightened her grip. "Of course."

The arm Steve was laying on crossed his abdomen, reaching for and finding Peppers arm to hold on to. His other arm reached forward, wrapping around Tony. Tony ran fingers through his hair. "You've seen as much from me. It's fine."

Steve continued to hesitate for another moment. He was shivering. He buried his face against Tonys shoulder and the shiver turned into a shudder, which broke into a sob. Then another. He clung to them both. They clung back. Tony could hear Pepper making little soothing noises, rubbing his back. Tony focused on keeping steady pressure around Steve, keeping him locked close and safe, and pressed his cheek against the crown of his head. 

Unsurprisingly, Steve wasn't loud. Even with his whole body shuddering with pained breaths, even surrendering himself completely to their care, his voice was barely engaged. Just one ragged, broken breath after another.

 They held him. It wouldn't be enough but Tony knew how desperately important that could be. As a kid he'd almost poisoned himself with booze more than a few times trying to numb out the craving. It was just evolution or something, that need for kind contact, another body (or two) protecting yours when you were vulnerable.

Steve was so vulnerable. Tony was a little awestruck by it. That he would give them this. It was...humbling, to be included in this. That Steve would let them protect him this way. More vulnerable now than when he had alien attackers against his throat. He was giving them this by choice. 

It lasted a long time. Steve didn't wear out as fast as Tony would have. He couldn't decide of that was a good thing or a bad one. Steve only tried to speak once, and it was barely intelligible. Tony was pretty sure he said "I _miss_ them." Beyond that, he just cried, and tried to press as close to Pepper and Tony as he could. His hand ended up curled under Tony's shirt, gripping bare skin, and Tony regretted his sleepwear choice. Would offer Steve any level of skin to skin contact if that was what he wanted. But there was no way to pull it off without pulling away, so that would have to wait for another time. This wouldn't be the last time Steve needed this from them. 

Eventually, even a serum-enhanced super soldier had to wear out. His sobs tapered off to gasping, uneven breaths against Tony's chest, and his grip loosened, although it didn't go slack. Steve was still clinging to the people he had. They didn't let go. A while after that, his breathing evened out, and his body relaxed. Tony thought he might have started to speak a few times, but kept lapsing into silence. Eventually, he produced a few quiet, achingly sincere words. " _Thank you_." God, it hurt to hear Steve's voice like that. 

Tony ran fingers over the soft hair on Steve's neck, and kissed his forehead. "Any time."

Steve went silent again, and after a while, Tony realized he was sleeping, still curled in their arms. Pepper must have realized it to, she peeked at him over Steve's shoulder. Her eyes were pink. His own might have been a bit, to. But this was so much better than knowing he was hurting and not being able to touch that. Even sleeping, Steve kept holding on to them.

It took Tony quite a while to fall asleep. Steve's pain was just so raw. It was too familiar, too close to home. He'd been so alone.

But he wouldn't have to be anymore. None of them would. Tony just had to make sure to make this keep working.

 

* * *

 

Steve woke up slow, clinging to sleep out the habit of being reluctant to start his day. Sleep was where there was sometimes familiarity, where Bucky and Peggy and his friends were. If he wasn't having real nightmares he tried to stay sleeping when he could. He was tired a lot, and good rest had real value.

 

When he did come awake enough to take in information around him, he was disoriented. There was more light coming through his eyelids than there should have been. The bed under him was too soft, and the blankets were too heavy and…he wasn’t alone.  Someone was touching him.

 

His eyes snapped open. Pepper was curled up under sheets next to him, in a t-shirt and shorts, reading a magazine. She smiled brightly at him. Her voice was low. “Morning.”

 

He stared at her. Right. He’d fallen asleep at Pepper and Tony’s place. In their bed. Which meant the hand on him—he turned his head, and sure enough, Tony was the one wrapped around his other side, head off the pillow, other arm jammed awkwardly against Steve’s side, and one leg wrapped possessively around Steve's at knee and ankle, sound asleep.

 

The previous night came back all at once. Trying to keep his head on straight and failing so badly they had to pull him aside. Them bringing him home. Him bawling for the better part of an hour. Them expecting that and holding him through it. The humiliation he hadn’t had the wherewithal to really feel last night started to creep in. He shoved it away. They’d invited him. And he’d done as much for them before. This might be an embarrassing situation but that was ok. It was an accepted part of their relationship. By the fond smile Pepper was giving him and the clinging Tony was doing, it hadn’t damaged their opinion of him one bit.

 

He closed his eyes again and relaxed. “Morning.” This was perfect. And weird, but he honestly couldn’t imagine a faster route to his heart. If they could take a disaster of a first date like last night in their stride, and respond like this…

 

He wasn’t sure he’d ever had such a strong sense that he’d be ok. He might not be ok right now, as Tony had so graciously pointed out. But now he felt like he could get there. Like being OK was an attainable goal.

 

Pepper leaned over and gave him a light kiss. Sometime after Steve had fallen asleep she’d taken her makeup off. He’d never seen her without any makeup before. He liked it. It felt private. Her hair was a little out of place and she even had morning breath. He reached up to hold her, then realized he was a sweaty mess. Tony and Pepper had a heavy duvet, and he’d been between them all night. He drew back, keeping his voice down. “Sorry, I uh. I don’t normally sleep under such thick blankets.”

 

“Or with company.” She added agreeably. “We haven’t got anything for you to change into, but Tony has a robe next to the shower that might fit you. If you want. I don’t actually mind.”

 

Steve sat off, shoving the covers further off him. “I must reek.”

 

She smirked. “Not really. And sweaty is actually a nice look on you. But you’re perfectly welcome to the shower.”

 

Steve smiled, and ducked his head. He wasn’t immune to the charm of sweat-slicked skin himself, although Pepper was apparently less over-warm than he was. But his suit pants were clinging to him pretty unpleasantly, and while he could tolerate having bad hygiene, he’d rather not have to.

 

Her comparatively cool hand rested on his arm. He looked at her, and she tilted her head. “How are you feeling?”

 

The consideration never seemed to end. He put his hand on hers. “A lot better. Thank you. I really am sorry. I don’t get that way too often, just—“

 

“You don’t have to justify this to me. We’ve both been dying to reach out to you for months.”

 

He flinched a little. “Was I that obvious?” He wasn’t ashamed of grieving. He understood not doing so would have been a disrespect to the people he’d lost. He just tried to keep it private.

 

“It’s just common sense.” She said matter-of-factly.

 

He reached for her before remembering why he’d pulled back the first time. To hell with it, she didn’t seem to mind. She put down the magazine and moved closer, into his arms. On a whim, he decided to risk a little more, and pulled her closer, onto his lap. Well, onto this thigh. He didn’t want to disturb Tony’s grip on his other leg. She gave a muted squeak of surprise, then settled against him, and kissed his cheek, then leaned her forehead against his. “You can always ask us if you need something, ok?”

 

She was so sweet. He loved that. That she could be so sharp and commanding when she had to be, but was also comfortable being sweet and letting Steve have her on his lap. His appreciation was a little distracted by the fact that she _was_ sitting on his lap, in just thin little layers of cotton.

 

Tony grunted in irritation of something. Sounded a little like an angry bulldog. He shifted in his sleep, tightening his grip on Steve’s leg, and curling up. The end result was Tony half curling around Steve, but since Steve was sitting up now, Tony was curled up around his ass. Pepper leaned back, looking behind Steve at Tony. She smothered a giggle against her hand.

 

Tony behind him, Pepper on top of him. He laughed a little. “I think I’m trapped.”

 

She settled in as if preparing to get comfortable for a long time. “Then our nefarious plot has worked.”

 

“Is this a kidnapping?”

 

“Maybe a little. I should probably draft up a list of our demands. Except that would imply we’d let you go.” She leaned and kissed his neck, just once but it lingered. Steve felt like one live nerve already and she was sitting in his lap and Tony’s legs were entwined with his.

 

He swallowed, trying to keep cool “Tony was right. You do have a possessive streak.”

 

She grinned, and turned her head against his shoulder, hiding her face. “Maybe a little.”

 

He hadn’t meant to embarrass her. “I like it.”

 

She leaned against his arm, assuming he’d hold her upright, and studied his face. The smile that bloomed across her lips was more than a little possessive, and more than a little wicked. “Then you are in the right relationship.” That smile did more to him that it should have. Yesterdays fog was definitely fading, chased off by good sleep and current comfort.

 

“I think I must be.” He felt a little breathless.

 

He didn’t need to take this slow. In 24 hours they’d given him every proof of justified trust and intimacy he could have needed from them, finishing off the groundwork their previous friendship had already laid.

 

Except now he had no idea what to do. He had a lap full of Pepper, and that was great. He had Tony curled up around him but he was sleeping and the angle was all wrong. “Um”

 

Peppers smile turned fond. “We should let Tony sleep for another hour or two, if that’s all right. If he can.”

 

“Sure” he agreed readily. He was always in favor of Tony getting some real rest.

 

“Do you still want that shower?”

 

“I think I’d better.”

 

She kissed his cheek again, and climbed off his lap. Steve reached down and carefully disentangled Tony’s leg from his. Tony grunted in irritation again, and Steve couldn’t help a chuckle. He wondered if Tony knew he made that sound. Pepper’d probably already teased him about it. She lay back down, her hip was against the top of Tony’s head as she picked her magazine back up. Tony could sleep in the weirdest damn positions.

 

Steve shook his head, and stretched, standing. He pretended not to notice an approving noise from Pepper, on the grounds that if he did notice it right now, his blood would all end up in either his face or his groin, and neither would be helpful at the moment.

 

He plodded off to the bathroom, without looking back at Pepper or her long bare legs.

 

It took him so long to figure out the shower he almost had to ask Jarvis. When he did get it working, though, he considered it fully worth it. Twelve jets of water, as hot and as high pressure as he could ask for.

 

He briefly considered stroking off in there. That would minimize the chances of his embarrassing himself later by getting overeager. But it would be rude to do it in someone else’s shower, and while he knew Pepper had exceptional hearing, he didn’t how exactly how far that went, and he didn’t need her to hear that. It occurred to him that while they had his survey, he didn’t have theirs. Tony had just snickered when he’d said “voyeurism”. Steve didn’t know what that snicker meant. He'd need to get a better idea of what they were interested in. He'd have to ask about that.

 

There was maybe a little effort involved in keeping his hands from wandering. He’d just had Pepper in his lap. He’d been in their bed all night. The hormonal enthusiasm his memories had dampened the day before were back with a vengeance now, heightened by the unexpected intimacy of the situation. What they’d done for him… the ease and affection they’d done it with…he wanted them. And they’d already said, very clearly, that he could have them.

 

He found the robe. He managed to get it on but he wouldn't say it fit. He considered getting his shorts back on but they were so sweaty. He bundled them up with the sweat-soaked pants and re-entered the bedroom.

 

Tony turned out to be awake already. His head was now in Peppers lap, and he'd produced a tablet from somewhere or other. Pepper lowered her magazine and Tony tilted his head to watch Steve upside down. "Morning gorgeous-" Tony broke off in a snicker. "J, order the good captain here a robe that will actually fit him." Tony gestured with one hand. "Something blue. To bring out his eyes."

 

Steve felt the return of the goofy grin, and didn't fight it. So that was clear forgiveness from both of them for last night. And having his own robe here...

 

Tony sat up. "No offense, I love seeing you in my clothes and all, I'm just a bit concerned for the shoulder seams."

 

"Yeah it uh. Well, at least it's long enough." Steve set his pants down next to his shirt and belt. He wasn't sure where he'd lost the socks. Probably somewhere in the bedding.

 

Tony was staring at him in a way Pepper had told him meant he was "rebooting". He blinked at Steve. "Long enough?" his eyes wandered downwards. "Have you got anything under there?"

 

Pepper batted him lightly with her magazine. Tony tried to look offended, but it was a little too gleeful. "What? It's a simple, relevant question."

 

Steve tried to look stern, utterly sure it wasn't working one bit. "A fella could dehydrate sleeping between you two, especially with those blankets. And I didn't want to put on damp shorts after I just washed."

 

Tony looked fit to burst. "Not complaining. One ruined robe—I can live with that."

 

Steve bit his lip. "I don't think I'm going to rip it..."

 

Tony leaned back on the headboard next to Pepper. "You look like Banner mid hulk-out."

 

"Bit less green." Pepper commented. "And a lot more attractive."

 

"Oh, ouch. That was kind of catty, honey. Bruce would be hurt."

 

“I don’t think he would.”

 

Steve cleared his throat quietly. "Guess I could take it off."

 

Well that got their attention. He could almost feel two sets of eyes scrape over him. He felt his body start to rev up in earnest. Almost like just before a mission, but without the anger, the fear—just a warm sense of excitement. Tony’s voice was gratifyingly horse. "Oh please don't tease."

 

Pepper reached out a hand to wave him closer. They both had a sharp, eager look to them. Steve went, climbing up from the foot of the bed towards them. He could almost feel his coordination and capacity for coherent thought draining out of him. He was giddy. Tony set his tablet down on the nightstand, keeping his eyes on Steve the whole time.God, he'd never been wanted like this. Not for himself, never this much. Not where he could see it, anyways.

 

Except they were both watching him, right after he'd offered to...Steve reached for the belt, looking down, rather than at them. This part was was awkward, like some unveiling or something. How much of an egomaniac must he look like? Tony's hand appeared and gripped the belt at the knot, preventing Steve from untying it, and tugged. Steve glanced over at him. Tony was smiling reassuringly again.

 

Steve followed the tug, and Tony put a hand on Steve's chest, pushing him down between them, onto his back. Steve went, bending one leg up to feel less exposed, but that just caused a breeze that made him feel more exposed. He could actually see Tony trying to focus on looking patient and caring instead of just horny. "Ok? " Steve nodded. Tony settled in next to him, planted a chaste little kiss on Steve's jaw. "So, what do you want?"

 

Oh for Pete's sake. "You're just trying to make me say it again."

 

Pepper chucked and ran fingers through his hair, with just the barest scrape of nail. Steve closed his eyes. He could hear Tony grinning. "I can't deny I wouldn't mind that. But no, seriously. Here, today, what do you want to do? I swear I don't actually care if my robe rips. You can leave it on if you want. Hell, you can keep it if you want. No pressure."

 

Damn. They wanted him to think. How was he supposed to think when he was most of the way to naked, on their bed, after last night, with Pepper playing with his hair? He tried to come up with a coherent response. He wanted to just say "everything", but they wouldn't accept that. He was sure when he was in his right mind he'd even have understood why. There were too many options, with varying levels of accompanying intimidation, and at right this second any of them seemed worth if to just get a little more contact. He settled on "More?"

 

Tony snickered, "Ok. More is doable. Can we be specific? Like, for example, are you sure about the nudity?"

 

"Yes."

 

"For all parties?"

 

Steve managed to open his eyes to give Tony a _look._ Ok, he was new to this, but he wasn't close to being so nervous he didn't want to see them both. Of the three of them, he was least interested in his own nudity."Ok, ok. Just checking." Tony said.

 

Pepper was still running her hands through his hair. "What about—is there anything you specifically don't want? For today, I mean."

 

"Mostly I just don't want to embarrass myself."

 

Tony smirked, but sympathetically. Pepper seemed to think that was cute. She leaned in to kiss his forehead. "We can keep it simple, then, if you want." 

 

"Stick to hands?" Tony suggested. They both looked at him. Well, that would sure put things more in the real he was familiar with. There was a lot else he wanted to do, but...it could wait. It'd be nice to not be worrying too much about whether he was doing this right. And they both had stunning, nimble hands. He nodded.

 

Tony's voice was almost casual. He reclined, just a couple inched between him and Steve, and leaned on one arm. "So, how do you feel about orgasms?"

 

What? "Very, very positive." He wanted to touch them. They were _right there_ , but it seemed like they were just talking right now. Which was still good. It was kind of them. They were taking care of him and it was so, so sweet. But there was another kind of intimacy almost painfully close now and he _wanted_ it.

 

Maybe that was showing. Pepper shifted closer, but still wasn't touching him. "Is there anyplace you don't want to be touched?"

 

"No." he was on sure footing here. "Anyplace. Can I...?"

 

Tony kissed his jaw again, just below where he had last time, almost to the neck. "Sure. Be my guest."

 

He looked at Pepper. She ran her hand through his hair again. "Just be careful if you're trying anything penetrative." Oh God. Yeah, even with just his hands he could do that. He actually could. She had said so.

 

His voice sounded a little faint. "Ok."

 

She looked at him evaluatingly. Then over to Tony. Her voice was sure and a little commanding. "Tony, take your shirt off. I think that's a good place to start."

 

Tony raised an eyebrow, but levered himself up enough to do what she'd asked. Once he got the t-shirt off as far as his elbows, she grabbed it, pulling it the rest of the way off and flinging it over the side of the bed.

 

This was far from the first time Steve had seen Tony without a shirt. Right after the surgery shirts hadn't even been a viable option for Tony. But this was the first time Steve had seen this much of Tony in a context like this. When he was allowed to touch, not just to help Tony get around, or treat and injury, but just because he wanted to. He reached up, still almost expecting Tony to back away, to change his mind. But Tony didn't move away. Steve laid one hand across Tony's side, wrapping around his waist. He kneaded the muscle there, the way he'd kept wanting to before, when he had to keep his contacts brief and chaste. He ran his hand up Tony's side, hyper-aware of dark eyes watching him. He reached his thumb out a little, skimming over Tony's nipple. Tony jerked, made a surprised, but not at all unhappy noise. He grin was overtly filthy. "Wait till you see what happens when you try that on Pepper." Steve's head snapped around to look at Pepper, who was laughing silently. "Honey, I think that's your cue. Don't leave us in suspense”

 

Pepper sat up, looking indulgent, and stripped her t-shirt off in one graceful movement. Steve’s mouth fell open. All that cream-colored, lightly freckled skin, the perfect elegance of her shape, pale pink little nipples. This time his hand actually froze on the way to reach over and touch her, hovering in mid-air. She stayed still, watching him from under her eyelashes, waiting. He crossed the last few inches tentatively, with fingertips, rather than the full palm press he'd felt bold enough to use on Tony.

 

He heard Tony mutter. "This again." right before Tony settled back in against Steve's side, and reached a hand across Steve’s body. Tony was flush against him now, an expanse of warm skin. Tony laid his hand on the back of Steve's, and pressed down, carefully. His voice was a murmur against Steve's ear. "She wants you to touch her. We both do. Just go for it." a little shiver ran down his spine.

 

Pepper’s head tilted to the side. "I really do."

 

That's right. They wanted him. This wasn't pity or a favor or any of the other reasons he'd worried would end up being his first time. He moved his hand up, as Tony's hand slid down his arm and onto his chest. Steve's fingers skimmed the underside before lightly grasping one palm-sized breast.  Her eyelids lowered. Tony's low voice was in his ear again. "Nice, right? Go on, try the nipple." He did, skimming his thumb over it. She twitched, and made a sound between a squeak and a gasp. It was _adorable._ Steve grinned, and tried it again. She made a similar noise, looking a little embarrassed about it. She moved to lay down next to him, and his thumb caught on the edge of her shorts. 

 

Nudity. That was the plan, right? He tightened his grip, stilling her movement, and looked at her hopefully, probably pleadingly. She paused, figuring out what he wanted, then nodded.

 

He reluctantly let go of Tony, but wanting both hands for this, one on either side of her, catching the shorts and her underwear in one go. He pulled slow, and she moved to accommodate him, up on her knees, then seated, with her legs angled up enough to slide the shorts under her, exposing more milky skin inch by inch- sculpted hips, auburn hair, the legs he'd been admiring earlier, now about to be completely bare. He sat up to continue, getting as far as her ankles before he heard a rip. A loud, tearing noise.

 

He squeezed his eyes shut. The robe. "I forgot about that."

 

He looked back over his shoulder at them, a little hangdog. Tony cracked up. He flopped down on his back, laughing loud and without reservation. Pepper, now completely naked, pressed her hands over her mouth, but was laughing anyways.

 

They were so perfect. He admired them, laughing and comfortable with bed head in a tangle of blankets. Her naked and him pitching a tent in his flannel pants. The last of his hesitation evaporated at the sight of their ease and happiness. They were so beautiful. Tony got himself more or less under control, and reached a hand up to Steve while he pushed himself upright. "C'mere, gorgeous, let's get you out of that mangled thing." he was still laughing. Steve scooched around, and Tony put his hands on Steve's shoulders, sliding the robe back and down his arms. Steve almost started to tense at it—he wasn't generally real body-shy, but this was a whole different kind of scenario than what he was used to. Then Tony's mouth got on his neck, and he forgot to worry about it.

 

He hauled Tony close, and was disappointed by the flannel against his leg. Tony wasn't naked yet. But Steve could fix that. He hesitated less this time, slipping his hands under the elastic, and leaving his thumbs on the outside to pull downwards. This time there was no armor in the way when he squeezed. Tony hummed happily, then bit down on Steve's neck. If Tony hadn't already assured him they were after this, Steve would have wondered if it was a diversionary tactic. It was very distracting.

 

But Steve was determined. He'd get Tony's pants off.

 

It was a small shove, with his forearm across Tony's chest- safely below the scar tissue. Tony's been balanced precariously on his knees, and he fell right over on his back, bouncing on the mattress. From there, it was a quick, easy movement to get Tony's pants off him. Tony blinked at the ceiling, startled for a second before laughing again. "Well, OK then." Tony grinned at him, and there was a glint in his eye "That was hot."

 

Finally, all three of them bare.

 

Now what did he do. He looked at them, laying in front of him, ready and willing. He realized his fingers were splayed, leaning towards them but not reaching for anything. "I- I don't think I have enough hands." That earned him another round of laughs. He hadn't know he was so attracted to laughing in bed. He couldn’t stop grinning. “Really, I’m not sure what to do here.” He looked back and forth between them.

 

 Pepper raised an eyebrow at Tony. “Well, you’re the one with ‘relevant experience’”

 

Tony was amused. He pointed to himself. “Oh, am I choreographing this?” 

 

Steve shrugged, nodding. He needed some direction here. Pepper gestured at Tony invitingly.

 

Tony hummed thoughtfully, eyes flicking through options. He reached out for Steve, guiding him, laying him back down where he'd been before. "Good?" he checked.

 

"Yeah. fine." Steve agreed. Tony reached under Steve's knee, the one on Peppers side, brushing his arm barely against Steve's erection. Steve swallowed a gasp, and bent his leg up a little, where Tony put it.

 

Tony nodded, pleased with himself, and offered a hand to Pepper, guiding her where he wanted her. She seemed to have more of an idea where this was going that Steve did, but he wasn't worrying about it.

 

She straddled his thigh, lowering herself down and Steve jumped. He could feel everything, slick and hot and pressed against his leg. Steve bit off a gasp of a curse. She looked flattered, and lay herself down on top of Steve's right side until she was flush against him all the way from where her thighs wrapped around his, up to his neck. Her breasts were a perfect, supple extra weight against his chest. One long slender arm wrapped around his chest, grasping the other shoulder, and she leaned her head against him. He shivered again, but forced his muscles to relax a little. Her reached one arm gently around her waist.

 

He had a split second to savor the sensation of her against him before he was distracted by Tony laying down on Steve's other side, hooking his leg under Steve's other knee, just like he had in his sleep, and pulling up flush against him. Tony was a man, and Steve hadn't expected the feeling of his body to carry as many surprises as it did. The skin of his inner thighs, for example, was so much softer feeling. He hadn't expected to notice the prickle of his hair reaching up in a narrowing trail nearly to Tony's navel. Feeling Tony hardening, pressed against Steve's thigh, was almost as much a jolt to his system as feeling Pepper pressing down.

 

He could feel them both breathing against him, and for a second he had to close his eyes. Being wrapped in them, his body only had one reference for a feeling like that—the kindness they'd shown him last night. Pepper’s hand stroked him where it lay against his shoulder, next to Tony's face. "Steve? Are you ok?"

 

His voice was a gasp. "Yeah." he moved his arm on Tony’s side, wrapping it up over Tony's body. "I really, really am."

 

Tony sort of…giggled, then kissed Pepper’s fingers. His hand wandered down Steve’s body, seeking out sensitive patches, leaving a trail of tingling skin where his fingers traced, and getting pretty far down…

 

Tony’s fingers skimmed the inside of Steve’s hip. Steve gasped, squirming. Pepper made a sharp, startled intake of breath, and half closed her eyes, squirming back and bearing down on his leg. The slick slide of the movement and the way she flushed- he moved again. She ground against him. This time he watched. Even in this she was all grace. It was one perfect movement from his leg up through her neck.

 

Tony claimed his lips. This kiss as hot and urgent as their first, but with Tony’s wandering hands making him tremble. He clutched them both, trying to keep just enough of his sanity to avoid grabbing too hard.

 

He lost track of things for a while after that. There was a lot of kissing, grabbing, petting, and a surprising amount of biting. Tony had been right about Pepper’s nails. He almost wishes the faint red lines where she pressed them into him would stay, be a reminder that this had all been real. Steve felt particularly pleased when he could get a moan out of Tony. Pepper kept up a fairly steady stream of little sounds.

 

There were enough sensations coming from so many directions it got hard to sort them out, but the next time Pepper’s hand skirted by his dick with just the barest, most accidental contact Steve found a lot of his attention diverted suddenly south. He couldn’t suppress the needy, disappointed noise he made. Tony chuckled. “Remember the part where you can just say if you want something?”

 

 _Oh._ Pepper grinned up at him. “I think I got the message that time.”

 

Her grip was surprisingly firm, and his back bowed, knocking the breath out of him. “Oh, God.” Her hand started moving, slow, deliberate strokes, before he could wrap his head around the feeling. He squirmed. Not because it didn’t feel amazing, or because he didn’t want it. But because it was so much sensation. Every nerve in his body seemed to be lighting up at once. This wasn’t at all like doing it himself- so much more intense than even the best he’d managed on his own. Instincts screaming at him to _move_ but without being sure if he was trying to move towards or away.

 

Tony’s hand smoothed over his chest with a motion clearly intended to be soothing. “Hey, you ok there?” Pepper’s strokes continued, and his body started to understand them in a coherent rhythm. That let his brain settled into some kind of order. He tried to answer, but couldn’t find his voice. He settled on nodding. “You sure?” Another nod.

 

Steve took a deep breath. Sensations were rushing through him, and while they were good, they were _overwhelming_. Like good music played a little too loud. He focused on breathing. Peppers grip loosened a little, slowed down some. That helped. His shook his head, clearing it a little. She nuzzled at his neck reassuringly.

 

His own hands were just gripping them. Not really doing anything productive. They were lavishing attention on him, and he wasn’t giving anything back. His hand on Pepper was gripping her rear, his pinky was already close, he was sure he could reach a little- he moved his hand and… _yes._ Pepper jumped, and gasped. Oh God. This was better than having her against his leg. The sensation against his fingertip was….strange. Slippery, with a lot of folds going on that he understood intellectually but would take a minute to learn his way around. Tony’s head came up to see what Steve was doing. Steve closed his eyes. There were times in his life…those times being most of his life, when he’d thought he’d never be allowed this. That no woman would ever want him close enough for this. He kept the contact light. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but she seemed pleased by it.

 

Tony spoke. “That’s a lot easier to do coming from the front than coming all the way around.” Steve didn’t care. This way he still has his arm around her, holding her closer. He pulled her close to demonstrate. “Suit yourself. You’re probably less prone to hand cramps than I am.”

 

Shit, Tony. He’d been neglecting Tony.  He let go of Tony’s ass, and nudged his hip to tilt it back. Tony moved obligingly. Steve gripped Tony’s dick, maybe a little harder then he meant to. Tony made a muted, choked sound Steve couldn’t name, and clutched Steve. “ _Jesus.”_

Steve loosened his grip immediately. “S-sorry. I just…” he tried again. This is the one sexual act he knew how to do. He tilted his hand, trying to figure out a rhythm while he had his other hand on Pepper and while she had a separate rhythm on him that was trying to over-run his ability to think with slick, fascinating new sensations.

 

Tony’s voice was hoarse. “Fantastic as what you’re doing is, and it is, really…fantastic. Let’s just…. _Ah._ Ok, Cap, baby. Slow down. I can wait my turn, honestly.”

 

Steve managed to catch Tony’s eye. This was difficult, but— “but, I want you. And I want you to…ngh…I want…I don’t want you to be left out. Especially today. You’ve both been so, so good to me. I don’t—“ his breath failed him for a second as Pepper tilted her wrist _just right._ She really knew what she was doing. “I don’t want to be selfish.”

 

Tony looked at him, for once his smile had no irony in it. “Oh, baby.” He stretched his neck up to kiss Steve. And Steve had excellent, superhuman reflexes and coordination, he did. Except, apparently, when he was having sex. Because he really couldn’t manage kissing now beyond having his mouth in the right general vicinity for Tony to kiss.

 

The noise he made—the whine—when Peppers hand eased off his dick, made Tony pull away. The pressure building in him felt frustrating and nearly painful without her touches moving them forwards. Peppers hand reappeared on Steve’s wrist, where his hand had stalled. She gently shifted, pulling his hand up back around her waist again. He looked at her, but she was smiling at him, and her face was flushed. She was starting to sweat. “Lets streamline this a little bit.” She shifted, laying a little more on Steve and less to his side, and ground down against his leg, leaving a wet streak. Her eyes fluttered close, and she lay down contentedly.

 

Tony was watching her from across Steve’s body. “Honey?” she looked back up at him. “You are out of control gorgeous.”  She smiled, resting her head against Steve again, and reaching her hand back to grab Steve’s dick.

 

But—“Is that enough?”

 

 

She made a sort of purring noise, and nodded. The motion, the wave her body made was entrancing. Well, it sure made taking care of Tony easier anyways. He had a little more of his brain left over. And he hadn’t really known what he was doing there anyways. He’d have to have them show him later.

 

Things built quickly from there. They made a rhythm between the three of them that shifted and flowed and magnified back on itself. His movements turned from arching, to bucking, to writhing. His voice turned from gasps, to moans, to an endless, wordless plea for nothing more than for them to keep doing exactly what they were doing. Then, he couldn’t even do that. His jaw clenched. He sucked labored breaths through his teeth, eyes shut tight and every muscle tense. Everything was overwhelming in it’s intensity. It felt good, but part of him had to fight to keep from squirming away, back to control over his own body again, back to coherent thought. He tried to at least keep enough of his mind intact to satisfy Tony. He had to. He wanted to take care of them. He needed to. He just couldn’t _think_ like this. It’d never been like this before- too much at once. He’d have thought he’d have had to come by now but it just kept _building_ until he didn’t know what to do with his body- wanting release but not sure he could tolerate any more than what he was getting.

 

Things changed suddenly. They had stopped moving the same way. Pepper’s hand stopped moving, although this time it didn’t draw away from his achingly over-sensitized cock. Steve couldn’t get his eyes opened, every nerve was still on fire. Tony’s gentle touch on his wrist stilled his hand.

 

Peppers voice was almost painfully tender. “Steve?”

 

Tony leaned against him, kissing softly against his cheek, then his hand carded through Steve’s hair. “Hey. C’mon, baby. Relax. Let go. This is supposed to be fun. Hey. Relax.” Tony moved up his body, and gathered Steve’s head against him, pressing his lips to Steve’s forehead. His tone was coaxing, soft. “C’mon. Relax those gorgeous muscles. Nothing to fight here. Feeling good isn’t going to hurt you. We’ve got you.” He kept up a murmur as Steve registered the words and relaxed back down by increments. Peppers hand started slowly moving again, and now Steve wasn’t tensed against it it was a completely different sensation- waves of heat instead of crackling electricity, washing through him instead of crashing. He felt Tony grin. “There ya go. That’s better. God you’re hot. You’re so beautiful. Both of you, I swear to God. Mmph.” Tony cut off as Steve got his hand back moving on Tony again with a smooth, easy pace to match Pepper’s. Oh, this was _much_ better.

 

This time he stayed relaxed, stopped worrying about control. It took a little effort to keep from grabbing for coherency, but If he wasn’t in control here he knew who was. And that was just fine. Every time he did start to tense, to fight against the feeling that he wanted, Tony would start murmuring to him again, petting his hair. Something about hot breath against his ear felt grounding, safe. Tony’s own voice was getting increasingly breathless and he started bucking into Steve’s hand. Pepper was still moving, but seemed to be reaching the end of her rope. The firm muscle under that delicate skin was straining a little more, tightening against him, for all that her movements were just as graceful and deliberate as ever. He could feel both of them sweating in earnest, slicking everything down further.

 

 Tony came first, giving the most obscene moan Steve had ever heard and grabbing a fistful of Steve’s hair as he spilled himself over Steve’s stomach. Steve opened his eyes just in time to catch the height of Tony’s hedonistic, ecstatic expression. After the crest his face went lax, changing to something helpless and vulnerable that nearly pushed Steve over the edge himself. He pulled Tony closer, wanting more heat, more…coverage as Steve's body started to his rhythm, pure instinct let loose by their coaxed calm.

 

It wasn’t long. Peppers motions had turned frantic and her lithe hand was pulling every trick Steve knew and a few he hadn’t to wring his orgasm out of him. Each movement against his thigh now was deep, carefully angled, hard, and slow. 

 

One last startlingly light scrape of her thumb in just the right place finally did him in. He probably made a noise. He didn’t notice. Everything was flooded with pleasure, the sensations and the relief and the feeling of heat and safety and being wanted, crashing through him all at once.

 

Steve didn’t go limp right away. He shivered and shuddered with aftershocks as sensations ebbed out of him, leaving just the feelings. Each tremor pushed a weak noise from him. Pepper was shivering against him, gripping tight to Steve’s shoulders as Tony reached across to smooth her hair out of her face as it turned from desperate to peaceful. She exhaled deeply, then relaxed all at once.

 

Steve felt completely boneless. He might never move again. His chest was heaving and his mouth was hanging open. His hands were a little numb. So were his feet. But it didn’t matter because everything was perfect.

 

Pepper sighed contentedly, curling around him. Despite tingling hands, his arms worked reasonably well, and he hugged her close. She made another high, happy sound.

 

“What she said.” Tony commented vaguely. Tonys head was within kissing range, and Steve kissed…well, he missed and got the corner of Tony’s mouth, but that was ok. “Motion to do that every day for the rest of time?”

 

“Seconded” Pepper agreed.

 

“Mmm.” Was the best Steve could manage.

 

“Motion carried. Motion for a nap?”

 

This time Pepper just giggled. Steve snuggled Tony close, trying that kiss again, and missing Tony’s mouth completely.

 

Tony yawned. “Close enough.”

 

Steve fell asleep, secure in the knowledge that he’d wake up in a future he wanted to be in, in two sets of arms that he wanted to be in, and feeling perfectly willing to suffer the dehydration, or any other ill effects that might occur, to keep it.

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter Pepper

The realization that Steve had a real _type_ when it came to women hit him just as his back hit the gym room floor with a bang. If he'd expected the throw, or he'd been less distracted by the lady throwing him, he probably would have landed better.

He heard Peppers horrified shout of "Oh my God!" and Tony's more plainly shocked "Shit!" as he allowed himself one split second to be a little stunned by the impact.

Then he levered himself up, smiling sheepishly at the two of them as they ran towards him. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He assured.

Tony laughed. "Not your best landing, there, Cap." Steve couldn't argue that. He really should have been paying more attention to what Pepper was doing, and less to what she was wearing. He'd seen her naked enough times now in the week and a half they'd been together that her workout "sport bra" shouldn't distract him like this anymore. But he’d had no luck up till now getting her to put real muscle into their exercises, and hadn’t expected today to be the day she broke that trend- especially with Tony there, watching. Tony offered Steve a hand up, leaning away to compensate for their difference in weight.

She had her hands clasped in front of her mouth, her clear bright eyes radiating worry and guilt. "Oh my God. Steve. I'm so sorry. I expected you to block that, and I was distracted - I'm so sorry. Are you ok?"

Tony was still laughing, and dusted off Steve's shoulder. "Pep, he's fine. I've seen him jump off third stories before. That was only like, two stories. I vaulted the ceiling in here for a reason. Steve. Tell her you're fine."

"I'm fine." Just his pride. And even that was damaged less by getting tossed, and more by having been caught not paying attention.

"See?" Tony grinned. “Beautiful throw, by the way. Very nice arch. Maybe next time get a little spiral in." Tony mimed throwing a football.

Pepper blushed, brightly, and Steve suppressed a sigh. The whole point of this was for Steve to help Pepper learn to maximize her new abilities- to help her learn the best ways to defend herself. But Pepper was as embarrassed by her strength as Tony was tactlessly enthusiastic about it, and it made things awkward.

Not that he blamed either of them for feeling the way they did. Steve knew a lot of girls were shy of showing off physical strength, especially in front of their guy or, in this case, guys. And Tony's enthusiasm- well. Those in glass houses. They shared a type. And he knew Tony knew that, even if neither of them had wanted to point it out to Pepper. Tony had still thought to show off the souvenir piece of twisted titanium armor plating that Pepper had torn through with her bare hands in her fight with Killian.

Pepper didn't look anything like Peggy, and nobody who knew him now would make the connection. But when he'd first fallen for Peggy she'd had quite a few inches and pounds on him, could have dropped him easily. He'd loved her for more than that, of course, but her strength and her fierceness and her steadiness were always a draw. He hadn't expected to find another girl as strong or stronger than him now, after the serum.

But the way she'd pinned his hips with those strong, slender hands last night, keeping him from losing his courtesy to his instincts while they took turns making him lose his mind- that kind of effortless strength- he couldn't deny to himself or to Tony that it appealed to him.

But Pepper right now wasn't happy. Tony's compliment was only embarrassing her more. She cleared her throat. "Yes. Well. Thank you. But I think that's enough roughhousing for today. I'm going to go shower."

They'd only been here for 20 minutes, and Pepper hadn’t mentioned before that she planned to go in to work early. Which meant they’d driven her off. And Tony didn't seem to notice a problem. He smirked at her. "You read my mind."

She rolled her eyes. "By myself. To _wash_ , Tony."

Tony pouted. Steve tried to look apologetic, not sure what to say. He wasn't gonna fuss, in any case. These two gave him no reason at all to pout. They may not have made much headway on "the list", but everything they'd done made his head spin, and their assurances that there was no hurry, that they had time, made him melt. He was pretty completely gone on them.

He tried to make some kind of peace offering. "Want me to put together an omelet for you?"

She gave him a thankful, but still guarded smile. "No, thanks. I'll grab a bite at the office." Steve tried not to look disappointed. He wasn't gonna get clingy. He was determined not to get clingy. He didn't want to seem ungrateful like that.

He might not have completely succeeded, since she gave him an extra glance, then bent over to brush a quick kiss against his cheek. "I'll see you later." She gave Tony a similar goodbye, but Tony dared putting an arm around her briefly.

Then she was gone without a backward look, and with longer strides than normal. Out and away as fast as she could manage.

Once he was _mostly_ sure she couldn’t hear him, he sighed. "Well, now what do we do?"

"Well, you could offer to make _me_ an omelet." Tony suggested blithely.

Steve gave Tony a look he hoped showed his skepticism, but Tony genuinely seemed not to have noticed what just happened. "Tony."

"What? You want me to make you an omelet? I will, if you have a couple hours."

"I meant about Pepper."

"She’s fine. She has like, a hundred snack bars in her desk at work. I know you super-types like to carbo-load, but she’s a big girl. She can figure out breakfast." Tony reached up, and ran his fingers through Steve’s hair, and Steve felt his shoulders relax a little, reflexively. That was one of the little gestures he’d adored right off the bat, and they both indulged him in it constantly.

"We embarrassed her. Shouldn’t we do something about that?"

Tony blinked at him, and Steve could see him replaying the interaction in his head, then looking at the door, then back to Steve. He blinked again. "Shouldn’t you be the embarrassed one? She wasn’t the one imitating a pigskin."

Steve flushed a little. But his embarrassment wasn’t the point. "But you were the one teasing her about it. I know I’m not an expert in women, but I know that girls don’t like getting teased about things they’re already embarrassed about."

"I’m also finding most of them don’t like being called ‘girls’" Tony pointed out. "Particularly, that specific woman doesn’t."

Steve flinched. Damn it. "Right. Sorry." He really had to get better at this. He couldn’t even blame the time gap on that one. Looking back, he bet Peggy hated being called a girl, too.

"Don’t apologize to me. Just a friendly heads up, in the interest of peace and tranquillity. You really think she was embarrassed? But she… I mean, I think she likes being a badass. It suits her."

"She bolted out of here like the place was on fire."

"Actually, she’s still got increased immunity to fire. Did I ever tell you she still glows a little sometimes? Not often. Just a little."

Steve’s mouth dropped open, more than a little horrified on Pepper behalf. Steve had a problem with blushing. Glowing would be a hundred times worse. He couldn’t imagine.

Tony continued "She hits a solid 115-120 Fahrenheit. You can’t miss it. But I don’t bring it up. See? I can be tactful." Tony objected.

"I thought you said you fixed Extremis. She’s got to hate that- glowing in front of people-"

Tony waved him off. "Not people. Me. Now you. Well, soon you. Probably. Only in the middle of a _really_ good orgasm. You get used to it. I think I’m actually developing a little bit of a fetish. I mean, probably she’d do it if she was doing serious speed-healing and maybe if she was fighting all-out, but really, pretty much reserved for spectacular orgasms. Makes a pretty handy measure, in fact."

Steve’s eyes widened. "O-oh. I haven’t seen…"

"Not yet. You will. You still have much to learn, padawan." Padawan? Oh. Star Wars. They’d shown him that one. Tony’d grumbled about lightsabers. Tony slapped his back, amiably. "One of these days I’m gonna have to show you some things. Then you can make up whatever inadvertent offenses you may have committed."

Steve cleared his throat, shifting position a little. "Look forward to it."

"Fantastic. Tonight?"

Steve couldn’t suppress a grin. He’d already stayed over in their bed last night. Staying over _two_ nights in a row, and during the workweek… "Sure."

Tony grinned right back, and looped an arm around Steve’s waist. "Great. Comeon, gorgeous. Let’s get you fed."

* * *

Pepper was an excellent multitasker.

Which was why she could preform a factory inspection and still be mildly obsessing over the mornings misstep at the same time. The OSHA worker was chatting cheerfully with the foreman, and Pepper and Happy trailed along. She liked to join in on these inspections from time to time- to make it clear to the company as a whole that safety was a priority at Stark Industries. Her presence wasn’t strictly mandatory, but it was a good chance to get a look at the ground level activity in a way that showed she was there for the employees, rather than there to inspect them. So far, things were going well. At least, here.

Maybe she would skip lunch today. That might help. It’d make her a little weak, maybe a touch lightheaded, now her metabolism burned a little hotter and a little faster. But it wasn’t a dangerous kind of weak, just enough to bring her a little more in line with how she used to be. Bring her back closer to the body Tony’d fallen in love with. To the kind of woman that wouldn’t show up Captain America by accident. That wouldn’t overpower and embarrass the men around her in general. Not unless she meant to, anyways.

She liked that Tony and Steve were protective of her. She understood that that was just part of how they showed her they cared about her. Whether she was likely to need the protection or not, she loved the sentiment. And she only resented having to tone it down for them a tiny bit. She was used to it. She’d been Tony’s PA for years, quietly doing her best to run the company from behind the scenes. She was used to focusing her energy on what was _effective._ And humiliating Tony and Steve would not be effective.

She didn’t want them to see her as threatening, or foreign or strange. She didn’t want anyone to see her that way. Unlike the men in her life, she’d chosen to keep her alterations quiet- known only to a few, select people. And even around them, she didn’t like to highlight it.

She didn’t dislike the changes. She had so much more energy now, and her feet never hurt no matter how long she wore her heels. There were annoyances- people made assumptions when a woman who looked like her ate the way she needed to eat now. The tabloids would be reporting her with both bulimia and pregnancy any day now, she was sure. Because God forbid a woman eat dessert at a business lunch without the whole world commenting and judging that fact.

But the truth was, she liked her body this way. She just didn’t expect everyone else around her to do the same. She was willing to use a little more self control to keep the men she loved comfortable.

A loud crack and frantic shouts snapped her attention back to the present, just in time to see the crates falling.

* * *

Tony’s head hit the couch with a _whump._ He was flat on his back now, but he wasn’t about to give up. He planted a knee against Steve’s chest, and stretched his arm out above his head, keeping his cell phone and recently snapped shots of Steve’s ass with various nostalgic Instagram filters out of Steve’s immediate reach. Lunch breaks were more fun with Steve around.

Steve paused, crouched over him, grinning, licking his lips, and plotting. He was determined to get Tony’s phone and delete the cheesecake within. It was a stupid, childish game that Steve could have won at any time if his priority had been to get the phone, rather than to wrestle with Tony. But so far Steve had kept those glorious muscles in check, and played Tony’s game.

Steve shifted to the left, and Tony’s knee slipped across his side, putting Steve between Tony’s legs as he climbed up over Tony’s torso to reach for the phone again. Tony arched, giving himself that tiny extra bit of room. Then he tilted his head forward, and _bit_. Steve needed to be extra gentle, but Tony didn’t.

Steve yelped, and jerked back, sitting on his knees between Tony’s legs with an incredulous grin. "You bit me!"

Tony stayed right where he was stretched out on his back, his shirt tanged around him and riding up. He grinned up at Steve. "Very astute."

"Were you raised in a barn?" Steve tried to object around a grin. Then the grin disappeared, and something even more seductively dangerous took it’s place. Steve put on his planning face. _While_ blushing. Tony suspected he was about to loose this game. His Captain knew tactics.

Steve bent over Tony again, closer, but out of biting range. He looked up at Tony though his (dangerous, _dangerous_ ) eyelashes and smirked, trying for seductive, missing the mark a bit because he was blushing too hard, and coming round to hit the mark again. "Ok, Tony. I’m prepared to open negotiations."

Oh, that was far too effective. Tony tried to wrangle his answering giggle into something approaching a chuckle. He wondered if Steve even realized how throughly pinned he had Tony. Was that contributing to all that blushing? Tony opened his mouth to answer, but Jarvis’s voice cut in urgently. "Sir, you’re receiving an urgent call from Mr. Hogan."

Tony shot upright, Steve moving out of the way before it became an issue. Jarvis didn’t use words like "urgently" without reason. "Put him through."

Happy’s voice answered immediately. "Tony. You gotta get down here. I’m with Pepper, we were doing a safety inspection over at the waterfront factory and they _failed_ , ok? They failed a _lot._ There were crates falling, she got hit. I don’t know what’s going on, but she wont let me call an ambulance. She say’s because of Extremis, you know. Look, just get over here."

"On our way." Tony agreed. Details could wait till they got there.

What he heard and understood was that Pepper needed him, and where he should go to deal with that. He was in the elevator in one racing heartbeat. Steve followed naturally behind, standing close in the elevator. The suit. Should he have brought the suit? Was there still danger? Was-

A heavy, warm hand wrapped gently around his shoulder. Steve. "Tony." Tony looked at him. "Breathe."

Breathe. Breathe. Right. Tony nodded. "Right. Yeah." He sounded breathless. He slowed down. Took a deep, deliberate breathe, tried to clear his head. Panic later. Pepper now.

When they got there, Happy was waiting outside, dust on his pants and his blazer missing. He locked on to them and met them halfway. "Tony. Good. Oh, Steve. Hi. Ok look, here’s what happened. They were transporting crates full of metal, right? And one fell, I mean right in the middle of the safety inspection I don’t know what the hell these people are doing. It almost landed on me. It did land on her. She got hit. She wont let me call anyone. I smelled smoke. Just get her home. She’s pissed. Really really pissed, but she wont listen to me. You know how she gets. I swear to God I should be the most popular bodyguard on the planet. I take a job with someone and then boom. Superheroes. And I think she was glowing. You said she does that sometimes, right? It’s freaking me out. She’s in the foreman's office now. I dunno I think she’s gonna fire, like, everyone. And look, I did not ask her to save me, all right? I’m supposed to save her. That’s how it goes. But she just…dives in like that what am I supposed to do? Look, don’t hate me, ok? Pepper, she’s all right. She’s like indestructible now."

Tony processed _Pepper is all right, Pepper is in the foreman's office,_ and _take Pepper home._ That was the information he needed. He grumbled something like thanks to Happy, and headed in the building. He didn’t have to look back to know Steve was following. He saw the crate, cracked on the ground and spilling raw materials all over, with the area taped off due to OPIMs they were still cleaning up. OPIMs that would be…Peppers blood. He reminded himself that Pepper was all right. Happy wouldn’t be wrong about that.

Her head snapped up when he shoved open the office door, her expression irritated, but relaxed into tired annoyance when she saw who it was. He didn’t think the annoyance was aimed at him. "Hey." His voice didn’t sound quite right. Too tight, too rough. Pepper was sitting at the desk, and for some reason she was wearing a mens blazer draped over her shoulders. Happy’s jacket? For, what, shock? She didn’t look shocked.

Steve, now to his side instead of at his back, sounded more normal. "Mr. Hogan called us."

Peppers irritation inched up again. Tony didn’t like this. Didn’t like worrying about her when she looked angry and like maybe he shouldn’t approach. Her voice had a lofty sharpness to it. "Yes. He told me he’d planned to. I’m not sure _why_ , since _he’s_ supposed to be the one to drive me home."

"Maybe he’s mad you stole half his suit." Tony offered.

Pepper glanced down at the blazer, then at Tony, then away, blushing. "Mine was damaged. His wardrobe has seen worse during his career." Yes, Happy had lost a few suits in the service of safeguarding Tony over the years. Several of them due more to alcohol than violence…

Tony went to the desk, circling around to the side she was on. She had her legs crossed, seemed so normal. He reached for her shoulders from behind. "Lemme see."

Pepper only gripped the blazer tighter. "Tony, I’m fine."

"Humor me." Tony answered, trying to manage the delicate balance of dignity with the display of his _need_ to see she was alright in those two words.

"Please?" Steve added, just on the other side of the desk. He gave her the sad puppy eyes. Teamwork.

She gave a completely aggravated sigh, but let go, and let Tony lift the blazer off her. Underneath, her white dress and matching jacket were slashed to bits. Then, the edges of the slashes were singed where she’d heated, healing herself. There was a little blood, but the skin under the ruined fabric was smooth and perfect, even the freckles unmarred. Each where it should be. Tony reached down, easing his fingers between the ribbons of fabric to touch the warm, but no longer burning hot, skin. He exhaled, his shoulders sagging abruptly.

Steve didn’t bend to gawk as Tony did, was better at taking things on faith than Tony was. He reached a hand out towards him, palm up. Oh. Tony handed him the blazer. Steve addressed Pepper. "Want mine instead? I mean, since we’re going the same direction. I can give Mr Hogan his back, that way. He seemed rattled."

Pepper sighed, nodding, and Steve removed his leather jacket, helping her into it. Chivalry. Why hadn’t Tony thought of that? The lines of her silhouette now reminded him a little of a girl in her sweethearts letter jacket. Kind of cute, if you didn’t mind the jockish implications. Once it was on, she stood, suddenly, and Tony suppressed an urge to reach out and try to sit her down again. Check her over some more before she went walking around, especially in those shoes of hers. He loved those shoes. He loved all her shoes. But they didn’t seem like something a person who’d just had a crate dropped on them should be walking around in. But Pepper would never be caught dead barefoot on the job. It’d ruin her nylons, anyways. He glanced down, and there was, in fact, a run in her hose. Somehow that was more alarming. Pepper in a state of disheveled-ness was a rare and alarming event.

Pepper strode out ahead, back straight, head high, heels clicking a deliberate and staccato warning. They followed. Steve rested one of those comforting, big warm hands on Tony’s back as a support just a moment before they walked back out into the factory.

* * *

Pepper carved out another scoop of ice cream, wishing it put up more resistance. The steak she’d already eaten had also felt too soft, too pliant against her teeth. She wanted to eat something viciously, but unless she started eating rocks, she couldn’t find any food that would give her any satisfaction. So, she’d settled on a huge meal followed with most of a pint of ice cream, and she had intentions of finishing the rest.

It was a stupid, pointless act of rebellion no-one would even notice. Although her having stayed mostly silent throughout her post-shower dinner seemed to worry Tony and Steve. They knew she was angry. They wouldn’t understand why even if she told them.

She’d apologized to Happy. For saving his life. She’d climbed out from under the rubble after saving his life, and as soon as they were alone, she’d apologized to him. She was furious with herself and the world at large for that. That she’d felt the need to apologize for saving him in front of other people. For doing the only sane, ethical thing possible in that situation and saving him from spending months in the hospital yet again from injuries sustained in the course of his work. For being a woman who was stronger, sturdier, and more capable of survival than him. For embarrassing him. And he’d stammered an unthinking acceptance to her apology. Saying he was glad she was ok, while staring at her as if she was some alien _thing_. As if he hadn’t worked for a man with a power plant in his chest for years. She’d realized as he was talking that her hands were glowing slightly. That he could see it. He’d given her his coat to cover it, to help her hide her ability to heal herself. And she’d taken it. And she’d thanked him. And she’d meant it.

And now she was so, so angry about that. At herself. Angry enough her eyes burned with tears. Once again, making the fire inside her look like weakness to the outside.

Steve noticed first, from a few feet away on the couch. Tony was between them, right up against her, huddling close for comfort, even if his posture pretended towards nonchalance. Steve’s voice was alarmed. "Pepper?"

She tilted her head away from them, not wanting them to see her cry. Not wanting to look weak. _Willing,_ now, to not look weak. Even in front of them. But a cold tear got out anyways, slipping down her face. They both leaned, trying to see what she was obviously trying to hide, and she wanted to snap at them for that. She nearly did, but the anxiety in Tony’s voice stopped her. "Honey? Y’ok?"

Right. She loved them. She wouldn’t snap at them. But the force of keeping her anger choked down blurred her vision yet again. Years of experience with turning anger and frustration into something that wouldn’t push the people around her had trained even her tear ducts. Tony’s hand on her shoulder was too, too gentle. His voice too soft "Hey. Hey, c’mon. You’re ok."

She snapped back before she could shutter her response. "I know that, Tony. I know I’m ok."

Tony’s hand flinched, but didn’t move away. Wanting to stay protective of her. He snapped back. "Well, I’m glad one of us knows something, because it sure as hell isn’t me." She looked at him. He was frustrated, winding up. Beside him, Steve was turning grave, withdrawn. "I don’t know if you’re scared or sad or angry or _what._ You’re crying, you’re stabbing at that ice cream like it said something bad about your mother. Are you pissed at me? At us? Because for once I can honestly not think of anything I did in this situation _at all_ to warrant that, but I do remember something about a rule of actually keeping lines of communication open and I’ve been just _sitting here_ waiting for you to actually say something. But you don’t. And then you’re crying and I’m _still_ not allowed to react? I call bullshit."

Steve reached over, putting a hand on Tony’s back, a silent soothing, supportive gesture. The kind of thing she would have done. Had done, many times before. He looked at Pepper, not speaking, but adding weight to the situation with his gaze alone.

Her automatic response was to tell them she wasn’t mad at them. The words were right there, primed on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she tightened her lips. Of all the people she pretended to be weaker for, weren’t they at the top of the list? She’d promised them honesty. She might not be able to explain it all to them, but she wouldn’t lie. "I’m….frustrated." No. That was lying. She could do better than that. "Ok, I’m angry."

"At who?" Tony demanded.

Everyone. And herself. But that wouldn’t help anything. She took the oblique route. "Did you see how Happy looked at me? How he talks about me? And he _knew._ He already _knew_ about Extremis. But he didn’t think of me that way. Didn’t see me as…as…"

Steve’s voice was soft, but heavy with understanding, not swaddled in coddling concern. "As a freak."

Tony’s head snapped back around to Steve, clearly not liking the word, but relaxing when he saw Steve’s expression. Steve was speaking from experience, not from his own judgement on Pepper. Steve was _other_. Like she was. In a way, like Tony had been. Tony’s gaze shot back to her. "You are _not_ a freak. You are perfect. With Extremis or without, you are perfect."

Steve’s voice was gentle now, but it was aimed at Tony, so she could excuse that. "Tony. You can’t expect her not to care that other people might not see it like that."

"Happy knows better." Tony insisted. "He gets it. He knows she’s perfect."

Pepper couldn’t take it anymore. She was on her feet in a flash. "Will you please stop saying that?! Even you don’t believe it!"

Tony was on his feet to. "What?! How can you say that? You know I think you’re- is this because I encouraged you to keep Extremis? I just wanted you to be safer!"

More tears. God she hated them, right now. "Well, you got your wish! I got several tons of metal plating dropped on me without a scratch! Are you happy now?!"

"Yes!" Tony shouted back.

Steve’s voice cut in, assured and tinged with command. "Then why is everyone yelling?"

Tony’s voice didn’t lower. If anything, it took on a hysterical edge. "Because Pepper would rather be crushed to death than suffer 5 minutes of Happy being embarrassed!"

"I would not!"

Steve grabbed Tony’s sleeve, and steered him back to the couch. Astonishingly, Tony allowed it. "Settle down. That’s not what she said." Tony looked about to start grinding his teeth. Steve looked at her more steadily from where he was still sitting. "Ok, you don’t like Happy treating you as…strange. Is that right?"

"Yes." She agreed. It was the tip of the iceberg, but it was true.

"And" Steve paused. "It seems like you get embarrassed showing up guys in terms if strength, toughness, that kind of thing. Like this morning, in the gym. Is that right?"

Oh God. This morning. Why did he have to bring that up? Shame, embarrassment, and more glowing-hot anger flashed through her. Yes, she was embarrassed. Embarrassed and afraid of showing them up. Of how they would regard her if she did. Tony responded before she could even answer. His tone was incredulous, but the heat had left it. " _That’s_ what this is about? Seriously?"

He looked at her. She didn’t know what to say to that. He scrubbed his hands over his face. His expression changed and his shoulders drooped as guilt crept over his features. “Ok. Ok, I get it.” He huffed a heavy, unhappy sigh. “Look, I’m sorry if I…if I pushed to hard for you to keep Extremis. I thought- but look, if you want it gone, I’m sure we can figure it out. I’ll get it gone. I can fix this.” 

Pepper flushed hot again- fury blotting out embarrassment for a tense moment. Get it taken out. Of course, he’d assume she didn’t want this. Didn’t like being strong. That she’d want to change  _herself_  instead of just being angry that Happy- not Tony’s most enlightened friend on the best of days- had trouble coping. She was speechless with anger, her jaw clamped tight. She turned on her heel, back tight, fists clenched, and started walking back towards her home office.

She got a bare three steps before there were 3 hands on her- two of Tony’s, one of Steve's, on her arms. Trying to stop her. She almost threw them off, but stopped herself just in time. She was angry, but she didn’t want to accidentally fling anyone. At this range, she could send one of them right out the window, and it was a very long way down. So she turned to look at them. Steve let go so she could without pushing. Steve’s eyes were pleading, plainly afraid, Tony’s confused and defensive. 

There was something else she noticed about their eyes. Reflected orange light. She felt her own eyes go wide, and she looked down at her hands, which glowed orange, highlighting the veins and bones inside. More than strange. Less than subtle. Tony’s voice had lost all it’s anger now, all it’s defensiveness. Now it was pure guilt. “Threat response. Bruce does the same thing. Except, y’know. Then there’s…smashing.” She looked up at him. His face matched his tone. And he was still holding her sleeve. “And, for some reason, you think the threat is…us. Or, me? Honey, I’m not good at this.” 

Steve’s voice was soft, but more timid than gentle. “Can you…tell us what you need? Us guessing isn’t working out.”

She pulled her arm out of Tony’s grasp, gentler this time. He let it go with obvious reluctance, but she needed some space. She took a deep breath. Trying to calm down. Trying to keep her inside private even as it glowed right through her skin. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, tucking her hands behind the opposite forearm. “I don’t think you’d understand.” She managed.  

Steve answered, in the same shy voice. “I’d like to try.” 

Tony frowned. “Seriously. What happened to all the communication stuff? If you’re gonna turn all rebel rule-breaker on me there are better, more fun ways to do it.” 

Damn it.

No, that was right. She’d owe them an explanation in any case, now. She just wished she had more of an opportunity to cool down first. She pulled her hair up off her neck, trying to literally cool off. She looked to the side, but kept her chin up. “I don’t  _want_ to get rid of Extremis. I don’t want to get crushed in a safety violation.” 

Tony sounded genuinely baffled. “Then there’s no problem!” 

“The  _problem,_  Tony, isn’t  _me._ It’s other people. Other people who aren’t necessarily happy that someone like me is walking around with super strength, and speed healing, and incredible durability-“ 

Tony stiffened. “What people? Fuck em. They can go to hell.” 

Steve eyed Tony. “Tony. I think she means…us. Partly.”

Her vision blurred again, and that was the last thing she needed. What if she cried and her eyes started steaming? Tony was baffled. “You think-  _we_ don’t like-?”

Her lips tightened, her voice tightened painfully.  She started “Well-“

Tony’s mouth sealed suddenly over hers, cutting her off. Her irritation at being interrupted flashed, but a split second assessment kept her from shoving him off. Tony’s preferred communication was kinetic, not verbal. And he was communicating emphatically, now. The kiss was desperate- but it begged more than burned. He leaned into her, heavily, in a way that would have made her stagger before, to keep them both upright. She opened her eyes, and could see her own wrist, on his shoulder, still glowing faintly. His every muscle shouted that he wasn’t put off. There was nothing rejecting about his body language.

When Tony pulled back, her eyes flicked to Steve, standing nearby. He was watching with the sort of rapt, borderline shocked expression he usually saved for times they were undressed. She didn’t get more than a heartbeat to consider it, because Tony stayed right up against her, still holding one of her arms, the other hand tight on her hip. His face was inches from hers and his expression was as intense as she’d ever seen it. “Please. Listen to me. As far as I’m concerned, you. Are. Perfect. Always. Period. Full stop.  I don’t know why you think you being super-strong would a deterrent to me or to Steve, but you’re wrong. For once in your life, honey, you’re wrong. Hard to believe, I know. But. This, this whole super thing isn’t something I’d ever have looked for from you- I didn’t need it, to love you. But I think it’s  _amazing._ And hot. No pun intended. We like it. Seriously. If you’re holding back for our sakes, don’t. There’s nobody in here that wants you not to be this. God. _Especially_  if you like it. I just didn’t want you to feel…fetishized or anything. That’s a thing. Apparently. I read a- anyways.  And I don’t wanna do that to you. But Steve and me, we like it. Love you. Love you with this. Just like you are.”

The intensity was uncomfortable. Direct and close and literally in her face. “I- you. You shouldn’t speak for Steve like that. 

Tony snorted. “Please. You can’t tell me he hasn’t jacked off thinking about you pinning him to the bed or the floor or a wall or something.” He swiveled his head to Steve’s direction. “Am I right?” 

Steve’s eyes went round, and he blushed as hard as she’d ever seen him. “I. Ah. Tony.” He blinked, looking away, shifting his posture. “Christ allmighty. Do you have to talk like that at a time like this?”

“She needs to hear it.” Tony reasoned.

Steve looked at her, assessing Tony’s claim. She raised her eyebrows. He took a deep breath. “That’s not how I would’ve put it. Or brought it up. But, what he’s getting at-“ he coughed a little.  “Yeah.”

She stared at Steve, her mouth dropping open. She knew Steve was more liberal than your average nonagenarian, but this- Steve licked his lips, seemed to compose himself a little more. “Pepper- before the serum, Peggy coulda dropkicked me into next week. That was no kind of put off for me. I do like you being safer but, Tony’s right. That’s not quite all there is to it. I would have said so before if I’d known that was why you were holding back.”

She looked at Tony. “What about you? I don’t remember you bringing home any bodybuilder women. And I got a pretty good sample size.”

Tony shrugged. “None of them were you. People being able to ‘drop-kick me into next week’ eh, not so much. In general I’m not a huge fan of people that able to rough me up. But if it’s you or Steve- someone I trust, that’s something else.  _Then_  it’s hot.”

“Really.”

Tony shrugged again. “Yep.” She looked at Steve. He nodded, still beet red.  

She licked her lips. If it was true- if she could just stop worrying about their egos and just be who she was now…she had to test this.

She started with Tony, since he was right against her. She wrapped an arm around him, and hauled him close, gripping him as tight as she could without hurting him. He looked startled, then confused, then intrigued. He tried to lean back. She didn’t let him. His eyebrows went up, looking down at her arm which had, thankfully, stopped glowing. He tried again. She didn’t let him budge an inch. He looked her in the eye. His shoes were off, so he had to look up for it. There was a good chance he was about to start backpedaling away from his supposed wholesale acceptance. There was more than a little uncertainty on his features. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a second. “Ok, I don’t normally ask this with sincerity but, will you still respect me in the morning?” She frowned. This was what she was worried about- not her respecting Tony, obviously, but him not believing it. “That’s all I need to know. Do you care that you’re stronger than me now? And, y’know, independently wealthy and…do you still need me for anything?”

She frowned. “I love you. I couldn’t love you if I didn’t respect you. And you might be able to forget about Extremis sometimes, but I can’t. I’m used to this now. To being…” she tapered off. 

“Stronger than me.” Tony finished for her, his tone frank. “Go ahead and say it. You’re stronger than me. On par with Steve. It’s ok.” 

She looked at Steve. He smiled uncertainly. “I’m used to women being stronger than me. It doesn’t bother me.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t ask you to hide it.”

Tony snorted again. He’d stopped testing her grip. Had relaxed into it. “Honey, he asked for the handcuffs. I think Steve’s comfortable with the idea of a take-charge lover.”

This time Steve’s smile, while embarrassed, was also a little wicked, even if he dropped his eyes to the side. She tilted her head. “Is that right?” 

Steve put his hand on the back of his neck, and she wondered if he was playing up the bashful look for her benefit. If so, it was effective. “Wouldn’t want the handcuffs every time. But I trust you. I don’t trust you any less knowing you’re as strong as me. And yeah, it’s… it’s good.”

She was startled when Tony’s head dropped to her shoulder, facing Steve. “I think Steve’s feeling left out.”

She turned her head to assess. Steve’s head was still tilted down, but his eyes met hers, and there was no mistaking the hopeful question in them. Hm. She released Tony, who fell back slightly. She must have been holding him up on the balls of his feet. She moved to Steve, whose head came up, watching. Waiting for a test. A stupid game of chicken to see who would flinch.

She reached out, and grabbed his belt. The leather was cheap by her standards, but thick, sturdy. She tore through both layers, neatly, in a straight line. The tail end of leather dropped to the floor. He swallowed, visibly. She moved to the other side of the belt buckle, and tore again. Too fast for it to be difficult, too slow for her to be snapping it apart with a jerk of a motion. His belt buckle dropped. She caught it without looking. A heavy, larger buckle- the kind she didn’t like anyways. She held it up just enough for them to clearly see her movement, and she crushed it in her hand like newsprint.

Steve’s next smile was less bashful. It was wide and wicked and greedy- maybe a little breathless. She flicked the little chunk of metal behind her, and Steve’s eyes followed it till she heard it clatter on the floor. He looked her in the eye. “Now who wouldn’t like that?”

Tony’s arms wrapped around her from behind, and he set his chin on her shoulder. “Please tell me that was foreplay. Because I think we need to be given a proper chance to show our appreciation of that flawless body of yours.”

A weight was lifted off her shoulders. No more pretending. Not for them anyways.

For the rest of the world- maybe. For the sake of her own privacy. But even that- if she wasn’t having to lay low at home. It became optional. Another choice for her to make. Not the only option that wouldn’t destabilize her home life. That was far more comfortable, and more open to review, should she change her mind later.

But most importantly, it meant that at home she could just…relax. Be what she was now, with the men she loved. She had some safe haven from second-guessing.

Her voice was more commanding that she consciously meant it to be. “Bedroom.”

She’d barely got the word out before they were moving. Walking fast- clearly in a hurry. Tony spun, walking backwards, grinning and delighted. They wanted her. The real, current her.

As soon as they got to the bedroom, she spun Tony and slammed him into the wall. She only had to hold back enough not to hurt him. Or the wall. He looked almost deliriously happy with this move. He liked her wrecking Steve’s belt? There was more where that came from.

She left one hand on his shoulder, then hooked one finger in the collar of his shirt, and tore downwards with a satisfyingly loud sound. Tony laughed. She tore out one shoulder, then the other, and the t-shirt dropped on the floor in a flutter. He braced his hands, palms flat against the wall, and braced his feet, expecting her next move. His breath was speeding. Four layers of denim at the waistband of his jeans- would have been difficult to cut with scissors, but it was nothing now. She tore down the right side- nothing underneath. Of course. They fell away, ruined, slowing for a second when they caught on the bob of his dick, hardening in the moments her little display had taken. Tony laughed again. “You thought I wouldn’t like that?” he pushed off the wall, pointing. “Do Steve next!”

She turned, and there was Steve, right behind her, also going hard in his jeans. God, they wanted this.

And oh God, she wanted this.

She got a foot behind Steve’s ankle, and shoved, landing him on the bed. She straddled him, enjoying his stunned but clearly happy expression. The fabric of his shirt was thinner than Tony’s, and tore too quietly to do much. But the way his chest was heaving underneath made up for it. This time, she started at the jeans front- popping the rivet button and enjoying the sound the zipper made as she tore it down the center, small pieces of metal bending all at once. Then down the inseam- she pulled to the side, so the pant leg was left sprawled flat under him, exposing a bulge in his boxers and one muscled leg. She moved back up, where the inseams had met. Steve yelped and jumped as her hands brushed his balls, and she tore again, down the inseam, tossing the torn fabric to the side. In moments, Steve’s pants were a flattened and torn sheet under him, and he was panting outright.

Tony came behind her, and slipped his hands around her waist again, pulling himself flush with her back. She didn’t relax against him, or mould herself to his chest. She stayed where she was, let him come to her. His lips nestled against the side of her neck. “Convinced yet?”

“Of?”

“That you’re perfect.” Tony answered simply. Pepper laughed.

Steve sat up, his legs still pinned under her, leaving his flattened clothing on the bed. “Don’t rush her.”

“I’m not ‘rushing’ her. This is easy. Assuming we recognize her flawlessness should be a gimmy. A no-brainer. How could two men as intelligent and horny as us fail to notice this? That’s nonsensical. You’re not making sense, Steve.”

Steve fell easily into the banter that they knew entertained her. “Of course we do, but you can’t expect her to just take it at face value like that.”

“I can.” Tony retorted breezily.

“Well, ok  you could, but I think it’d be better to prove it.” Steve answered, as if he was having a perfectly reasonable conversation.

Tony paused, then nodded, slowly, making a show of pretending to consider Steve’s suggestion. Pepper tried to contain her smile at their antics, but she didn’t try hard.  His voice was considering. “That’s…you have a solid point there.” Tony leaned against her back again, she felt the tip of his nose against the back of her ear, nuzzling close. “What do you think, hm?  Want us to prove it?”

It would have been impossible to stay so tense and angry when they were being so playful. Tony  _might_  have been able to fake this kind of breeziness while unsettled about her strength, but Steve couldn’t, and she honestly didn’t think Tony would. Besides which, his erection, pressed against her ass now, seemed to be almost entirely born out of her little demonstration. Steve, still under her, was faring pretty much the same. She wound one arm around Steve’s waist, and lifted her other arm to run her nails through Tony’s hair, and pull him closer. “And how do you plan to do that?”

They both understood that as the invitation it was. Steve shifted closer, pressing a kiss just under her left ear as Tony kissed the right side of her neck before answering. “Honey, you have two adoring superheroes at your command. Whatever you want, whatever’s gonna make you believe it, you’ve got it.” His tone was just a hair more tender than she expected, and she choke up, just a little. “But if you don’t have anything specific in mind, I will point out that Steve’s been wanting to learn how to give head.”

Steve jerked, surprised. He pulled away enough to look at Tony, then at her. There was that combination of nervous, determined and eager she was so weak against. She traced a finger down his cheek. “Yeah?” Steve nodded, seriously. 

She moved, taking some little joy in the way she could do that, and they had to move around her. Tony had grace to spare and wasn’t about to be knocked over, but he had to scramble a little when his weight posed no obstacle to her movement. She turned, moving towards the edge of the bed. She caught the edge of Steve’s fingertips, and gave a light tug to tell him to move, then pressed lightly on the top of his shoulder when he followed. Steve understood kinetic language as well as Tony, and sank to his knees on the floor in front of her, his expression awestruck and nearly disbelieving. She wasn’t about to rip her own clothes, even if they were just lounging-around-the-house yoga pants and a t-shirt. She slipped out of them, top first,, then bra, then slowing down a little to enjoy the rapt way Steve was watching her as she slid out of the pants and underwear. He rested one hesitant hand on her knee as Tony settled in to her side, behind her just enough to press close without tangling his legs up. Tony kissed her temple. “Anything you want, babe. Whatever you need.”

Pepper closed her eyes, just enjoying the moment. Tony wrapped an arm around her torso, pressing his hand against her, enough to feel muscle but stay gentle. She felt Steve kiss her knee, carefully wrapping a hand around the calf of the other leg. Not careful because he was strong, careful because he was being….nearly reverent with her. Because she was precious to him, not breakable. 

She opened her eyes, and spread her legs, trying her damnedest to quash a frankly adolescent embarrassment. It was a little hard not to be reminded of her own earliest sexual experiences around someone as new to everything as Steve was. Of worrying she smelled funny or tasted bad or looked strange to someone who didn’t know what to expect, like Steve might not.

It wasn’t as if she’d hidden from Steve up till now. Wasn’t as if he hadn’t touched every external inch of her, but you wouldn’t know it to look at him. He stared. She shoved down the urge to snap her legs shut or grab the remains of his t-shirt to cover up with. No. No more hiding. She trusted them and they were just professing their admiration of her body as-is. She kept watching Steve. Really looked at his expression. He seemed almost breathless. Possibly intimidated. Tony rested his chin on her shoulder, watching. Then Steve licked his lips in a way that didn’t look anything like nervousness. He placed one hesitant hand on her thigh and looked up her, his expression questioning for a split second before he nearly snorted a startled laugh, breaking the tension. He focused on Tony. “That’s the smuggest face I’ve ever seen on anybody.”

Tony leaned forward against her a little more. She stayed upright, taking his weight. She tilted her head just enough to see a bit of the crescent of Tonys grinning face. She couldn’t see his expression clearly but his tone matched Steve’s assessment. “MM-Hmm.”

She looked back to Steve, now taking in the full sight of her with open admiration. His hand stroked up her thigh, onto her hip. “Where do I start?”

She felt Tony’s intake of breath, readying a response, but put her hand up to put a finger over his mouth before he could complete his thought. She said instead “However you’re most comfortable starting.” Steve smiled at their antics, seemed a little more at ease for the moment before he looked down again. That almost seemed to knock the breath out of him again, but he mustered himself. He twitched with one false start that almost had her outdated anxieties flaring again. Then he leaned forward for one deep, sure, long  _lick_  right up the center.

She gasped, her back arching, pressing Tony back. That was not what she’d been expecting. She felt Steve exhale one hot, heavy pant against her clit. His forehead pressed against her abdomen as he processed. Then he shifted again, moving closer to her on the floor. He put one shy hand on her calf as Tony ran a thumb under her right breast. Steve looked up at her, pupils wide and face flushed. He licked his lips again, this time planning, thinking. He leaned down again, his shoulders more relaxed this time, for a still surprisingly firm but more curious lick towards her clit. She made a small approving noise, and he tried it again.

Tony’s arm not occupied with her breast snaked around her, nudging past Steve’s forehead. “There, see? I could have told you he wouldn't need to start with baby steps.” Tony very deliberately brushed her clit before spreading her labia smoothly with two fingers. Steve made a pleased little noise of understanding. And licked less experimentally along the exposed area. She leaned back against Tony, content to enjoy Steve’s explorations and the slow glide of Tony’s fingers, and the not-quite-teasing play of his fingers against her nipple. Tony’s chest, sweating against her back. Steve’s soft hair against her leg. It didn’t take long for them to find a pattern, Tony’s fingers tracing suggested patterns for Steve to improvise along. She wasn’t surprised they worked well as a team.

Tony knew what he was doing, had learned what she liked and when. Altered or not, he knew her body well. And Steve was eager and earnest and apparently tireless. She let herself melt into the sensations and against them.

They moved slowly, which was strange, for how eager they’d been. How eager they were.  Steve leaned into every motion, putting his back into movements that could have been the barest flick, not for show, just out of pure enthusiasm.  Tony’s mouth skimmed a tingling path on the shell of her ear, his hands still slow and working to convey meaning in the language he spoke best. Still, she wasn’t completely surprised when Tony managed words as well. “Some suction. There.”

She had just enough time to register that Tony was talking to Steve before Steve responded, pulling a throaty gasp from her. She thought she heard Steve moan, but Tony’s purred answer was unmistakable. “Gentle. Not hard. Not yet. Not until she tells you.” Steve hummed his agreement, and tried his new trick again.

This was a very efficient system. Tony rumbling suggestions and instructions to Steve between his own kisses and licks, Steve following them without hesitation. Soon Steve didn't need Tony's instructions anymore, at which point Tony switched from instructive commentary to quiet, nearly mumbled words of adoration and praise. “Perfect,” and, “gorgeous,” and, "love you,” between kisses scattered over every inch he could reach.

Steve licked unexpectedly deeply and she cried out, her hand moving to his head before she thought about it. He stilled instantly under her hand, not alarmed, the sound she'd made was clearly appreciative, just obedient. She remembered   _hair pulling 7_ and gave a slow, experimental pull on the silky blond hair in her fist. He leaned with her motion, eyes dipping closed. She ran her nails across his scalp and he hummed his appreciation before she took more deliberate hold of his hair again, and pulled him forward, back to what he'd been doing. He seemed as happy to be steered by her hand as he was by Tony's fingers. She pulled up her legs, wrapping them around his back, pulling him nearer still.

 

By the time she noticed she was arching her back she'd already pinned Tony under her, trapped between her and the mattress. He didn't seem to care, his hands and mouth still teasing, rubbing, sucking wherever he could, and his hips bucking with what little room he had, rubbing against her. His voice had gone breathless, but he kept talking between nips at her ears and licks to her neck.  She pushed back against him, giving him more of the friction he was after, and he choked on his words, loosing them for several minutes.

 

When she climaxed her mind didn't go blank, as it usually did when she felt this good. Instead it buzzed with Tony's words and images of the way they looked at her playing behind her eyes. The way they touched her a present and consistent reminder of their acceptance and attraction. She arched again, enjoying the feeling of Tony under her. She tightened her hand and her legs, reveling in Steve's enthusiasm, and shuddered as a long, drawn out climax flooded her.

 

When she was done she pulled Steve off, and let go of his now beautifully mussed hair as he wiped his grinning face with the back of his hand, watching her and she turned boneless.  

 

Tony eased out from under her, then leaned close and kissed her. "You catch all that?"

 

She smiled, contentedly. "I think I caught the gist, yes."

 

"And?"

 

She felt the bed indent as Steve sat on the edge. There was a smile in his voice. "I could do another round of convincing if you need me to."

 

She laughed, tiredly. "No, you can safely count me among the believers."

 

Tony grinned at her, sitting back just enough so she could see them both. "Glad to hear it." He hitched a thumb at Steve, eyebrows cocked in request. "I'm just gonna-"

 

She chuckled. She was content, but she wouldn't mind a little show. "Don't wait on my account." She shifted, getting comfortable on her stomach in a good spot to watch as Tony made up for his relative inactivity and supporting role from a moment before by getting Steve on his back and in Tony's mouth in short order and it was beautiful. Steve had gotten much better at relaxing into things but was still exquisitely reactive and surprisingly noisy despite his own best efforts. She was particularly fond of the way he fought himself to keep his eyes open, watching almost disbelievingly instead of letting them drift close. His gaze drifted between Tony's enthusiastic sucking and Peppers smug, sated spectating. Tony's eyes were mostly closed as he focused on what he was doing with his mouth, and with his spare hand down between his own legs where sadly, she couldn’t get as good of a view.

 

But she could see the sweat on Tonys flushed face, could read the signs as he got close. Steve had learned the same signs, and watched Tony hungrily as Tony shivered badly enough he had to leave off Steve for a moment. Tony leaned his head on Steve’s thigh as his hand pumped a few final, frantic motions. Tony’s eyes closed for a final shudder, his mouth open but smiling at the corners. He took well under a minute to rest, panting as Steve stroked through Tony’s hair, and he was right back to what he was doing, making Steve cry out.  

 

Steve had the most stamina of any of them- maybe a little more than he'd like to have, and one of these days she was going to see how far she could push it. But Tony knew his business and it wasn't too much longer before Steve was tensing, biting his lip, and letting go. They were beautiful.

 

Yes, she would definitely have to test out Steve's endurance of these days. Maybe she and Tony could arrange a sort of tag-team.

 

Then again, as she watched Tony lean up to kiss Steve, both still breathing heavily, she may not need a tag team. She was still feeling...pretty warm. She shifted closer to them, leaning against Steve while Tony lay down right where he was. She was surprised to feel that Steve's skin felt cold.

 

She frowned, and reached a hand to his stomach, confused. She froze.

 

Her hand- her whole arm- was _glowing again._ They saw her reaction and Tony sat up, alarmed.

 

The front of his body, the insides of his arms, were bright pink- well beyond a flush. She sat up, looking down and yes- she was glowing all over. Bones and veins out in pain view over her entire naked body. She pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself. When had this started? She scooched back, not wanting to burn them, she should get up before she lit the bed on fire- "Oh my God."

 

They both reached out for her, but she pulled back again. "No- don't!"

 

Tony's words were hushed but hurried "No no. You're fine. I'm fine. Everybody's ok. Comeon, you know you don't burn unless you mean to-"

 

She shook her head. "My clothes, this afternoon-"

 

"Ok, but you were super-healing then. This is just... you're not going to burn anything."

 

"Your arms-" she started.

 

"No worse than a jacuzzi. I'm fine."

 

"But I was laying on you-"

 

"So it's like Bikram yoga but sexy. I'm fine."

 

Steve was chewed his lip, guiltily. "I told you we should have told her about this."

 

Tony spread his hands "I thought she knew! How do you not notice being a hundred and seventeen degrees?"

 

Wait. They _knew_? They expected this?

 

So, she must have done it before. She usually closed her eyes when she was getting close so...it was possible she did this a lot and just hadn't ever noticed before. She felt a flush of embarrassment.

 

But...no...if she'd done this before she really had done it without burning Tony.

 

She watched them, they looked back at her, uncertain. "I've done this before." she surmised.

 

Tony nodded, but Steve answered. "Tony mentioned, but never where I've seen it."

 

"Only sometimes." Tony added.

 

Steve swallowed, looked at her earnestly, with an air of confession. "I wanted to see it."

 

Wanted to? Why would he _want_ to see this?

 

Because it was a sexual response. And if she only did it when she wouldn't notice, then she must only glow like this when she was very very engrossed in what was going on, so it was a very _favorable_ sexual response. This, the weirdest and by far the most uncomfortable part of her transformation. They'd been watching her be as strange as she got, and were no more bothered by it than the strength, or the healing, or any of the other things she'd been afraid they'd balk at.

 

She flopped back against the pillows, and stretched. "You two are perverts." She accused smugly.

 

Steve laughed a little weakly. "I guess so."

 

Tony snorted. "Having a kink involving a gorgeous woman being very visibly turned on by my activities? That...can't even make it to the top 10 of my perversions. Probably not my top 20. Does that even count?"

 

Steve settled back against the bed, comfortably, scooching close to her. "Liking having your clothes ripped off probably does."

 

Tony considered. "Still not in my top 20 for pervyness."

 

Steve snuggled close to her, feeling cool now, instead of cold. "I meant to say, I want you twos’ lists, by the way." He was already totally comfortable with what had gone on. The glowing, the super strength, the healing. The whole day’s worth of display.

 

Tony settled in on her other side. "That's fair." he agreed, breezily. "I think mine would need some editing anyways compared to a month ago. There are unexplored avenues I need to look further into..."

 

And that was it. No macho posturing. No pretending to be fine while clearly not being fine. No more talk of de-powering her. That was the full range of her weirdness, and it just made them thankful she was ok, and horny. She sighed, shuffling further into her pillow as they cuddled close. "I'll print you a questionnaire tomorrow morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Maskedfangirl and printed_soot for beta/copyediting.
> 
> As always, comments are my favorite things, and you can find me on Tumblr as Constant-Instiagor with an open askbox.
> 
> Chapter 4 will be heading down soon.


	4. Chapter Tony

Pepper was a strategist. She had to be. Even before she was officially a CEO, she'd had to be. And right now, she was creating a plan of attack.

 

Tony was having a bad day: he was holding it together pretty well, but the little signs were piling up in the checklist in her mind. He’d woken up tired and red eyed, a sign he'd slept poorly. And, while they'd fallen asleep with Steve in the middle, she'd woken up with Tony wedged between them, his back pressed to Steve’s back and his head up against her shoulder. 

 

Add that to how little he'd eaten of dinner, the slight sweat dampness at his temples when she’d come home despite no apparent strenuous physical activity, the amount of fidgeting he was doing with his hands, how hard it had been to pry him out of the workshop when she gotten home, plus the relentless teasing he was heaping on Steve, and it was clear some form of intervention was required.

 

Steve, thankfully, seemed to understand what was going on as well as she did, and was taking it all in his stride. Poking back at Tony in their verbal sparring, but never escalating or taking him seriously. He was being just a little gentle, but not the way that would set Tony's ego off. He was also at least half listening to Tony’s litany of slightly over-loud complaints regarding some laws of physics that were refusing to budge for him. It warmed her heart to watch, she loved seeing how well Steve already knew how to take care of Tony.

 

The easiest way to deal with an anxious Tony was to distract him- pull his mind away from the wormhole or Afghanistan or whatever other dark territory it had sunken into. She knew there was sometimes value in actually talking through things, but Tony had been on edge all day. Right now he just needed some relief.

 

She tapped a finger against the edge of her StarkPad, considering. There were a plethora of options available to her. She had always been able to distract Tony on her own, and now, with Steve, she had more backup than she could ever need. Ideally, she’d pick a distraction tempting enough Tony either wouldn’t notice it was a diversionary tactic, or he’d be too engrossed to care.

 

At that moment, Steve decided he’d had enough of Tony buzzing around the room gesturing and ranting and launched his own little intervention. Tony wandered past him, a little too close, and Steve reached up, quick, and grabbed him. One quick snap, and he had Tony tumbling into his lap. Tony grunted a noise of surprised protest, but landed neatly seated on Steve, straddling Steve’s legs with his back to Steve’s chest, both arms pinned across his chest by Steve’s hands on his wrists. He recovered quickly, raising his eyebrows at Steve. “What, don’t tell me you’re tired of particle dynamics already?”

 

Steve leaned back, getting comfortable, casually hauling Tony along with him. “Oh no, I love particle dynamics. You were just starting to make me seasick so I figured, for the sake of your upholstery, I should do something about it.”

 

She looked, carefully, but saw no hint of Tony trying to break out of Steve’s grip, or even any irritation at being hauled around like a sack of potatoes. Tony seemed, if anything, a little calmer now Steve had him pinned close. There was a hair less tension in his shoulders, his jaw. “You don’t get seasick, Captain Miraculous.”

 

“I’ll learn.” Steve answered smoothly. Tony laughed, and leaned against him.

 

Pepper started to smile. Yes, she had the perfect carrot to dangle for this occasion. One she was pretty sure all three of them would enjoy, provided Steve was up for it. Given the comfortable, offhanded way he was immobilizing Tony, she liked her odds. And last Tuesday’s adventures in glowing and superstrength seemed like a good lead in.

 

She cleared her throat, delicately. “As much as I hate to break up the physics lecture…” The both looked at her, Tony was still making no move to test Steve’s grip. “Would anyone else be up for trying out a new item from the sexual interest checklist?”

 

Tony blinked at her. “Is that what we’re calling it?”

 

Steve got the expression he got when he was feeling eager and trying to stay polite. “Have something in mind?”

 

She set the StarkPad aside, sliding over the few feet to them, more than a little gratified at the way their eyes tracked her movement. “I do. Something I’ve been sort of…thinking about for a while.”

 

Tony smirked. “Oh, these are always good. You name it, Honey. I aim to please.” Steve, much less accustomed to writing blank checks, just waited for her to elaborate.

 

Her legs tangled a little with Tony’s. “We all have pretty high ratings for light bondage.”

 

Tony flashed a grin. “Mmm. Are we getting out the ropes? Handcuffs?”

 

Pepper looked at Tony, as calmly  and cooly as she was able. “I kind of thought we’d just hold you down.”

 

Tony’s eyes went round. His throat worked and a slow, amazed, perfectly filthy smile bloomed on his face. She looked at Steve, who was watching Tony’s reaction with rapt interest.

 

Bingo.

 

Tony looked at Steve, hope obvious in his expression. “Whaddaya say, Cap? Ready to get a little dirty?”

 

“It’s fine if you’re not.” Pepper hurried to assure him. This was a leap, and she knew it. “Or, I’m assuming,” she looked at Tony “if you just want to watch.” Tony shrugged easy agreement. She looked back at Steve. “I know you generally like to try being on the receiving end of things before dishing them out,” Steve nodded, listening attentively “but I think for this, it might be better to see what we want to do to you before we actually do anything. And, I’d really like to show you how…well, how I get the reactions I’m going for.”

 

“You could not ask for a better teacher.” Tony chimed in cheerfully.

 

She smiled a quick thank you at Tony, then continued. “Nothing fancy, just a little light restraint and a little…mood setting. Just a few ticks up from-” she paused.

 

“All that clothes-ripping and hair-pulling fun.” Tony concluded. He made no attempt to rein in his enthusiasm, even kicking his feet a little.

 

It was the perfect reassurance for Steve. He coughed a little, nodding and taking a deeper breath. “No that…sounds nice.”

 

Tony scoffed. “ _Nice._ Nice does not begin to cover it. Have you even been here? We aren’t talking about _nice_.” Tony tried to point to Pepper, but Steve didn’t let him go. Tony did not seem to care. “This woman is _depraved_. And highly skilled. Extremely effective. You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

 

Steve clearly thought Tony’s description was mildly insulting towards Pepper, but Tony’s clear enthusiasm and Pepper’s amusement kept him from getting too indignant on her behalf. “Tony.”

 

Tony was nearly gleeful. “What? That’s a ringing endorsement. I love depraved and effective.”

 

Steve sighed. “Maybe we should gag him.”

 

Pepper stood. “Not tonight. You should hear the full range of sounds he can make first. Besides, verbal safe words are easier to keep track of.”

 

Steve now looked a bit confused. “Safeword? Can’t he just say…’stop’?”

 

Tony answered “ ‘Stop’ could mean anything from ‘not so hard’ or ‘not so fast’ or ‘please stop teasing me, only don’t actually stop teasing me’. The safeword means everything stops.”

 

Steve nodded, slowly. “And that word is…?”

 

“Neutron.” Pepper answered. “Tony picked it.”

 

“You don’t say.”

 

Pepper turned towards the bedroom, not looking at them, starting to slip into her role for the evening- one she hadn’t exercised in a while. She started walking, not looking back. “Are you boys coming?”

 

After a few steps when she heard an undignified squawk and did actually turn around. Steve had Tony flung over one shoulder, fireman style. Tony started laughing. Steve gave her his best apple-pie smile. She grinned and head held high, she turned back to stride off towards the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Pepper was the _best_. Except for Steve, who was also _the best_.

 

Tony, he was the luckiest, because he didn’t have to choose between them.

 

He’d been having a shit day. And that pissed him off because his life was awesome and he had everything and he shouldn’t have shit days.

 

But sometimes he did. And on this particular shit day Steve had been with SHEILD most of the day and Pepper had been at the office and Tony had spent over 20 minutes under his workbench- not hiding, just unable to breathe well enough to stop being dizzy so he could stand up. Plus, when he stood up he saw a perfect blue sky just like it had been the day that-

 

But anyways.

 

Pepper had come home and Steve had come over and Tony had been able to fake normalcy and really, had been a lot closer to it because they were both nearby.

 

But he could still feel the adrenaline zinging through his veins, the nervous flares of excess energy flickering through his system, keeping him ready to fight, to run, or, unfortunately, to forget where he was and freak out temporarily on the floor. It was exhausting, but he couldn’t relax, couldn’t rest. If he didn’t stay focused on something external on days like these the vivid, blinding flashes of memory would eat him alive.

 

Unless he was given something internal to focus on that wasn’t his memories. Such as a flood of really awesome sensations like the ones he was anticipating now. This would work. This would make him feel fixed, feel ok. Remove the feeling that something dangerous was lurking under his own skin, in his own neurons. All he had to do was let it happen.

 

Steve deposited him on the center of the bed. Now his elevated pulse and bloodpressure stopped being signs of something wrong with him, and started being signs of arousal. Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to fight.

 

He was left to face them. Pepper decided to start with undressing Steve. He loved the proud, contented smile on her face. He loved being part of the reason for it.

 

He also loved Steve’s shirts hitting the floor. Good goddamn. He would never get tired of looking at that. That was a hell of a lot of perfect, beautiful muscle. He could watch those two undress each other and make out all day. Especially since, at pretty short intervals, they would look over at him, just to check on him. See how he was doing. Even with the other willing and increasingly naked, neither of them forgot about him.

 

Tony waited. For this, he could be quiet, and patient, and still. He could just wait, trusting in them and what was going to happen. This was perfect, this was exactly what he needed. He wondered if that’s why she brought this up tonight. He’d sort of thought he was being subtle. Whatever. Pepper knew him. If her reading him a little better than he’d realized resulted in sweet kinky sex he wasn’t going to bitch about it.

 

Before long, they were both naked, standing at the foot of the bed, and their full attention was on Tony. Pepper leaned against Steve, who had one arm around her bare waist. “Here, help me get him stripped.”

 

Steve grinned, and didn’t hesitate. He was her second in command tonight and eager as ever to do his duty. Pepper slid in behind Tony, while Steve positioned himself in front of him, looming close enough to smell and radiating heat. _Yes._ The center of a super-sandwich. There was no better place to be in the world than here. Her hands, gripping firmer than usual, slid under his shirt, pulling his t-shirt up and over his head while Steve made short work of his fly, tugging down Tony’s pants and then bending to lift Tony’s legs, one at a time, to slip them off over his calfs and ankles. There was something almost unbearably sweet about the way both he and Pepper shifted their grips on him; to keep him upright and not overbalanced as they disrobed him. He didn’t grab either of them to help himself stay upright. It was so easy for them to hold him wherever they wanted. He could feel his muscles relax and tension start to drain even as his pulse sped up and his skin started to heat.

 

Pepper’s tone was calm, considering. She tended to sound calm when she was being dom-ish. It was her way of being in control, and he loved it.  “I think…up, instead of down.” Before he had a chance to wonder what that meant, she’d grabbed both his wrists, and had hauled them up, straight over his head. He expected her to tell Steve to take them. Her fingers were long, but not long enough to grab around both his wrists securely. But she didn’t, she just leaned forward so he could make out part of her face over his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow. He made it a point not to fight it when Pepper was in charge, but he did feel compelled to point out that what she was doing was not going to hold the first time he really jerked- and he wouldn’t be able to help it at some point. So he gave just a gentle tug downwards to point out that the light grip she was holding him with wasn’t secure.

 

Then blinked when his hands didn’t budge at all. He looked up at them, and tugged harder. He could move his fingers comfortably, but her hand didn’t move. It might as well have been carefully anchored steel. This time, just for the sake of clarity, he tugged as hard as he could, and felt his knees lift slightly off the mattress. Her delicate-looking hands, holding him in what looked like a light, partial grip still didn’t waver. His eyes widened.

 

Right. Superstrong. He should have been able to calculate that.

 

His breath left him in a rush and he grinned. “You are _so_ hot.”

 

That satisfied her most current check on him, and the wicked gleam in her smile returned. She moved backwards, out of his line of sight, but he immediately felt her press against his back. Stretched out the way she was, he could feel the solidness of her abs moving under flawless skin against his back. The arm she wasn’t using to restrain him slid across his torso, gripping his side firmly and holding him close against her.

 

Steve was kneeling just far enough back to be watching the whole thing. Like Tony, he was getting hard. His eyes were roaming over Tony, over the way Pepper was gripping him, and the way Tony stayed still in her arms. He hadn’t seen Tony like this before. This was new between them. Steve reached out, carefully, trailing feather light fingertips down Tony’s chest. His eyes came up, consulting Pepper. “Now what?”

 

“Now… we do whatever we want with him, basically.” Not quite true. Even Tony had limits, albeit limits quite a ways from anything likely to happen here and now. Pepper knew them all by heart and wouldn’t let them even nick his boundaries without extensive planning and discussion beforehand. Probably more forms. But yeah, functionally, he was willing, more than willing, to be their playground for a while.

 

Pepper continued, her hand on his wrist completely steady, and the one on his side stroking him absently. “This is what he’s giving us. What he’s offered.” Her hand moved up his side, flat and firm. “Tony’s willing to hand over the control, and trust us to take care of him.”

 

He’d…never heard it put like that out loud before. He’d understood it. He reveled in it. But having it said, put into words out in the open air, changed the balance of what was happening here.

 

He looked up at Steve, who met his eyes immediately. Steve licked his lips, didn’t seem to notice he was doing it. Peppers words had struck a chord with him, too. His want, his eagerness, was plain. His hand flexed slightly at his side, itching to get moving. His normal interest in naked Tony access heightened by Tony’s willing vulnerability and …it looked like… Pepper’s pointing out that they were going to take care of him.

 

Tony swallowed, and did something he almost never did. He dropped his eyes. He wasn’t even sure why, but he had to look away. Instead, his gaze fell on the rapid up and down of his own scarred chest. The mark left by other periods of vulnerability that Pepper, then Steve had been there for. Steve’s hand resting there, now.

 

Peppers voice continued, close to Tony’s ear. “So, Steve, you have free reign. What do you want to do with him?”

 

There was a silence, as Steve thought, his finger tips still resting against Tony’s breastbone. “I guess we should-“

 

“No.” Pepper interrupted gently. “Don’t worry about that yet. I’ll handle the ‘should’s’ for now. And I promise you, we will absolutely give Tony _everything_ he needs.” She punctuated this with a small squeeze that got under his skin more than it should have. Needs? He usually thought of them as wants. It sounded like she was talking about something else. “Right now, I want to see…and Tony wants to see… you doing whatever you want to do. Don’t worry. I won’t let you make a wrong move. And Tony…he’s being quiet now, but if he needs to say something, he will. Don’t let the quiet subservient look fool you, he’s still Tony.”

 

Steve’s voice was soft. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Tony found he was still looking down, which was weird, right?  He was here to witness Steve’s first time getting to take charge—albeit as a co-pilot—in bed, and Tony couldn’t seem to look up.

 

He felt naked. Really, really naked. Not regular naked, which hardly felt like anything to him at all. More naked than just exposed skin.

 

They were both talking above and around him, rather than to him. In real life, he hated that with a passion. Here… they were freeing him him having to give any kind of direction, make any kind of decisions. They would consult, between the two of them, about what was best for him. And here, for this, he would let them. Steve’s voice had a tentative edge, but there was a sureness creeping in. He was talking to Pepper. “Could I-…I’d like to leave a mark.” His hand touched Tony’s elbow, running down his arm, then along his flank until it ran into Pepper’s hand.

 

“A mark?”

 

“Like, a hickey.”

 

“Oh.” He heard her smiling approvingly. “Go right ahead. Just avoid anyplace that wouldn’t be covered with a business shirt. Areas exposed by a t-shirt are fine.”

 

And then there was Steve up against him, blanketing Tony with his expansiveness, mirroring the way Pepper was plastered against his back.   Steve's mouth- that perfect mouth with those red lips- latched on to his shoulder. Steve wasn’t being shy with teeth or with suction, and he made the most incredible, quiet rumble of a half-formed feral growl. Tony managed a choked off surprised shout, his head jerking backwards. His body tried to jerk in surprise at the suddenness of it, but he couldn’t move. Pepper kept his arms in place and with both of them pressed against him he didn’t have so much as a centimeter he could move in either direction.

 

It worked too well. Tony was fully hard and panting in an instant. Getting this kind of raw, aggressive want out of Steve was amazing, perfectly set off by Peppers calm, complete control. He writhed again, just to feel how he couldn’t. Steve’s hands started out light, but he was getting a lot less shy these days and before long he was gripping Tony, fingers pressing into his skin.

 

There was something complicated going in in Tony’s head. Something fast moving he didn’t understand.

 

Steve’s head came up, pulling away to admire his handiwork- a deep, plum colored bruise of not inconsiderable size on Tony’s shoulder. Steve seemed slightly surprised at the extent of the mark. He did not, however, look displeased by it. He ran one careful thumb along reddened edge. Tony felt Pepper shift to inspect the mark too. “Good thing he doesn’t mind possessiveness.”

 

“Yeah.” Steve sounded a little breathless. Not from leaving the hickey, Tony had been able to feel Steve’s hot breath coming and going through that- he was breathless with the idea of leaving his mark on Tony. Claiming him. Tony shivered.

 

Steve’s hand moved up to the back of Tony’s neck, cradling his head and holding him still for a deep, nearly bruising kiss. Now Tony couldn’t even move his head. Pepper could move him though. And she tipped them both out of the way to kiss along Tony’s neck, pulling his arms down just enough to make room for herself against him. She latched on, like Steve had, onto his other shoulder, bringing up a mark, a brand of her own. Tony whimpered into Steve’s mouth, caught pressed between them again.

 

Steve broke the kiss. Tony kept his eyes closed. His head was still tilted back, caught between Steve’s hand and his forehead. Pepper pressed one light little kiss on the area he could still feel burning. He hadn’t seen it, but he could feel there’d be a deep stain on his shoulder now. This time, her words were meant for Tony. “Good?”

 

Tony tried to nod, still couldn’t move his head. Still kept his eyes closed. His heart was pounding now. This was so much more potent than he’d expected it to be. Like the first time he’d gotten his hands on real quantities of hard liquor instead of beer. His voice was wrecked when he answered. “Yeah.”

 

There was a minute change, both of them shifting closer at the same moment, rewarded and emboldened by Tony’s reassurance and enjoyment. It was slightly crushing.

 

That thing going on in his head was getting faster, louder, closer.

 

Pepper and Steve both made pleased little sounds. She nuzzled his neck, pressed her hips against his ass. Steve straightened, pressing closer, his cock rubbing not-quite-incedentally against Tony’s. He kissed Tony’s temple, his cheekbone. His voice was a whisper. “Thank you. For trusting me. I will. I will take care of you. God, you’re beautiful.”

 

Tony’s breath caught. The thing going on in his head spun into his awareness. It was overwhelming. A blinding, paralyzing sense of _safety_.

 

Here, pressed between the two of them, their perfect, strong bodies and their perfect, loyal hearts, nothing could hurt him. Nothing could threaten him. Silent and obedient between them, pressed so close he couldn’t move, loved so thoroughly he could barely speak, even he couldn’t endanger himself.

 

It was disorienting. After a day of high alert and adrenaline and fear, to so suddenly be engulfed in such total safety- it was like a sudden drop in air pressure, stealing his breath. Everything that had been pressing down on him was gone, even if he was cradled completely between their bodies. He half expected his ears to pop. It was like freefall, back before he’d refined the pressurization systems in the suit.

 

He was dizzy, he was actually dizzy with it. But that was ok, right? He let himself go a little more limp, resting on them further. They just held him closer, keeping him upright.

 

He’d done this before- dozens of times with dozens of partners. Even with two at once before. But this was different. Pepper had always been different, and now, hearing her say aloud the way she saw this, about taking care of him, about making sure he got everything he needed. And Steve talking about taking care of him to. Both of them checking in with him, and the way Pepper made it clear to him and to Steve that she would guard over Tony’s boundaries and keep him safe, keep their little system safe.

 

The feeling was like music played loud enough to drown out every other thought, with base so booming it replaced his own heartbeat. It vibrated under his skin. _Safe Safe Safe Safe_. He tried to lean into them, not for the rutting, orgasmic pleasure he’d thought he sought this out for, or the titilating, slightly dangerous rush he used to chase, but a sudden, desperate need to cling to this perfect, unprecedented feeling of security they were offering.

 

His breath caught again, in a choke, nearly a silent sob.

 

Oh no.

 

_No no no._

 

He realized his eyes were starting to sting behind closed lids. This freefall had a danger after all. There was something here they couldn’t protect him against. Some horrible, clingy, needy desperation kept locked down by the basic procedures of life was trying to crack him open. In front of Pepper and Steve.

 

He fumbled after his self control, trying to see past the sweet temptation offered by his lovers. But it wasn’t working and he could feel his eyelashes starting to get wet, a slight tremble in his legs.

 

He couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t be able to think, to control himself _at all_ like this. Wouldn’t have the presence of mind to hold himself together when his heart was screaming at him to let them hold him together instead- to completely let go of the tight, habitual bindings he used to prevent himself from being a gibbering mess of PTSD and need.

 

He reached blindly for the last failsafe he had. “Neutron!”

 

They both startled, retreating from him immediately. He collapsed forwards on his hands and knees. And that should be how he felt vulnerable. Naked and hard and panting and dizzy on his hands and knees, not held close and safe and _Safe Safe Safe_. He gasped the word out again, trying to chase away the trap that would make him so much less than they deserved. “ _Neutron_.”

 

“Tony?” Steve sounded afraid, confused. He reached for Tony, but thank God, he drew his hand back before Tony could grab it, could cling to it and fall apart around it.

 

But Pepper was bolder. She knew how he wanted (needed?) her skin when he was scared. She didn’t know how hard he was trying not to reach for her now. Her hand fell lightly on his back. “Ok. Ok, we stopped. What happened? What’s wrong?” He tensed, he couldn’t talk, didn’t trust his voice. Instead of pulling away, her hand smoothed down his spine, rubbing a calming circle and _No._ “Can you tell me what you need?” Her voice was so gentle, so painfully gentle.

 

No. No he couldn’t. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. He had to get away, calm his mind down, learn to talk again and make sure he could do so without begging to be enveloped, pinned and taken apart. Without crying, or at the very least without sobbing uncontrollably.

 

He shoved upwards, getting to the edge of the bed. His face burned as his knees tried to give out on him when he stood up. Headrush, that was all. From kneeling so long with his hands above his head, then standing. That was all. But they both moved to catch him anyways and he staggered backwards out of their reach. He wouldn’t have the self control to wrench himself away again if they caught him.

 

Pepper was afraid, frozen with one hand reaching for him. Steve's eyes were round and guilty and confused. They didn’t understand and he didn’t know what to tell them.

 

He had to get away. Clear his head. “I just- I have to…” He took another couple of unsteady steps backwards.

 

“ _Tony-“_ Pepper pleaded, she didn’t drop her hand.

 

He shook his head, which did nothing to clear it. He turned, and focused as well as he could on one foot in front of the other as fast as he could without tripping over himself. The nearest door was the ensuite bathroom and that would do. That would work. A door to close, solid and real and not dependent on Tony’s character.

 

He reached the door, hearing his name called out again, and shut it behind him.

 

He sank down against it, then lay on the floor. The tile was almost painfully cold against his skin and it was good. It hurt but it was good, was grounding. He wanted to let go, now they couldn’t see him. But he couldn’t. If he let go, he’d be back in freefall. He’d crash. And he wasn’t sure there’d be enough leftover after to bother giving back to them.

 

He had to get back under control. Forget he’d ever felt that. Forget he knew what could happen if he gave himself over to them. Forget, and then never let it happen again.

 

* * *

 

Steve stared at the closed bathroom door, with his mind whirring.

 

What had just happened? What the hell had he done? He looked at Pepper. She tore her eyes off the door to look back at him, fear and guilt and confusion as plain on her face as they must have been on his. She looked as baffled as him, but he had to ask "What happened?"

 

She shook her head and brought one hand up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were drawn back to the closed door. "I don't know. I have no idea. He's...that's never happened before." she stood up, took a few steps towards the bathroom door, and stopped. "Do you think I should try to..."

 

On one hand, Tony's exit had pretty clearly intended them not to follow. On the other, he couldn't stand the thought of Tony thinking they hadn't tried to make sure he was ok. He shook his head. God, what had he done? "I don't know. You're sure you don't know what set him off? I don't..." She turned to look at him, chewing her lip. "What did I do?" He couldn't stand it. In all the ways, in all the places he might accidentally hurt someone...to have hurt Tony, when Tony was so explicitly trusting him, so deliberately vulnerable. His voice shook a little ”Pepper, what did I do?" It couldn't have been her. She knew Tony like the back of her hand. They'd been together who knows how many times. Steve was the new element. The wrench in the works.

 

He'd been too aggressive. That almost had to be it. He was too big, too strong to make that kind of mistake without consequences. He’d been too indulgent of his own wants and neglected someone in his care. Right after he'd promised to take care of him. He hung his head. Well deserved guilt cut at him. He stepped back, sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.

 

Tony was forgiving, had such a generous nature. Maybe he’d still want to keep Steve, and just never go near this territory again. He'd still have Pepper for that, at least.

 

If Pepper’s protectiveness of Tony could allow it. He raised his head to look at her, letting himself plead with his eyes to not be pushed out. He’d take limits- after this he _wanted_ limits. Wanted to make sure this didn’t happen again.

 

But she didn't look angry. She looked scared. And when she looked at his face, she dropped her hands to her sides, and stepped back over towards him, gathering his head and shoulders towards her and hugging them against her belly. She stroked a hand through his hair. He looped his arms around her waist. "I'm so sorry,” he said.

 

She made a sympathetic sound. "I think it'll be ok. Whatever we tripped over, I don't think any of us knew it was there. I'm sure he was as surprised as we were." She half turned, not letting him go, but looking back at the closed door. He couldn't make out any sound on the other side. "I really have no idea..."

 

Steve looked at the door to "I don't think it's any mystery. He's not the first person to be afraid of me. And I was being..." he let the sentence hang, not even wanting to finish the thought.

 

She shook her head, her expression was clearing, taking on the focused look when she was solving a problem or making plans. "No, that's not it. I've seen Tony take a lot more than that. One hickey and some heavy petting...even with the restraint, that shouldn't have done that to him. Tony heckles the Hulk. Not even just Bruce, _The Hulk_. Strength doesn't intimidate him." She shook her head again. "We won't know what happened until he tells us. I'm not even going to worry about that now. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what we need to _do_. He's not allowing for any aftercare, any debrief. He has never run off on me before."

 

"Has he used the safeword before?"

 

"Yes but...for a charliehorse, a pinched nerve. A physical need to get out of restraint or... but never out of...that was fear." her calm was cracking again, her voice pitching high. "And I don't know what he needs or how to...he won't _let_ me." She blinked, a little too fast. He pulled, gently, so gently, he had to be so much more careful. She folded slowly into his lap, let him hold her close. "I'm supposed to _know_. I've always prided myself on... I was supposed to..."

 

He held her a little closer, rocked just a little. "Think he'll forgive us?"

 

She sniffled a little. "I know he will. Even if he shouldn't he probably would." She shook her head, this time as if to clear it, and sat up a little straighter, leaning against him less. "Ok. It's ok. Things happen. People have unexpected reactions. That's...that's fine. Nobody was disregarding anybody else's boundaries. It was an accident. It's...this is fixable." she said it with finality. Wanting to believe it. Steve wanted to believe it to. "What we need to focus on right now is that Tony is ...in the bathroom, probably having a _panic attack_ ,  and for whatever reason he thinks he has to be alone for it." She stood, pacing a little. "And now he's not going to want to come back out here, because he's going to be so humiliated..."

 

Steve remembered the shame on Tony’s face the first time Steve had seen him have a flashback. Tony hadn't been able to get away then, couldn't even stand after the surgery. Steve licked his lips, looking at the closed door.

 

When Steve had broken down, right on their first date, they'd both assured him it was ok. That he didn't have to be ashamed. For whatever reason, Tony didn't trust that.

 

Probably because Steve had been the cause of the panic. "Maybe I should go." his voice was leaden in his own ears.

 

Pepper was quiet, thinking for a long moment. "I don't think so."

 

Steve stood, dislodging her carefully. "Why? If I'm what scared him he won’t want to see me when he comes out of there." He couldn't get rid of the image of Tony, naked and shaken and hiding in his own goddamn bathroom in his own home, trying to make himself come back out and face someone who had, however unintentionally, hurt and scared him after promising to protect him.  Tony shouldn't have to go through that.

 

"Because if he comes out here and sees that you've left, how do you think he's going to interpret it?"

 

Oh. Damn it. Steve knew how he'd take that. He'd figure the other person was disappointed in him, embarrassed by him maybe. Trying to avoid getting mixed up in his baggage. "I'm sure you could explain it to him."

 

"I really don't think he'll want you to leave."

 

His voice sounded sharp ”Maybe I want to." He couldn't take this. Didn't want to see Tony afraid of him. He wanted to give Tony the dignity of putting himself back together without Steve being there. And, frankly, he wanted to go have a quiet panic himself about what he'd just done, without Pepper or anyone trying to tell him it was ok.

 

But Pepper turned hurt, surprised eyes on him. Then her expression turned evaluative, then a little exasperated. "No you don't. You'll just go home and make yourself miserable. Stay here, so you can find out what's going on and we can sort this out." She looked back at the door. "Besides, I might need backup, and I know you won’t ditch out on me if I might need backup."

 

Steve signed silently. She had him pinned.

 

She walked over to the bathroom door, tentatively. She knocked softly. "Tony?" No answer. "Tony, can you hear me?" Still nothing. "Jarvis, is-?"

 

"All vital signs are within safe parameters." Jarvis answered somewhat woodenly.

 

She sighed. Not normal parameters. Safe parameters. He was suffering, and choosing to do so alone. She leaned her head on the door. "Ok, Tony. We'll wait. It's ok. We'll wait right here however long you need us to. But please come out soon. I think Steve is going to conclude he's a rapist or something if you don't. And I...we...just really want the chance to help. To figure out how to make this right. Ok? We'll be right here. We want to see you." She put her hand on the door. "I hope you can hear this."

 

The silence was deafening.

 

She looked so miserable. He walked over to join her, and when he put his arms around her, she leaned into it. He looked at the door. Probably he should say something. So Tony would know Steve stood by everything Pepper'd just said.

 

He didn't want to talk to the door. Steve just generally didn't like talking to non-electronic inanimate objects. Felt like talking to a gravestone. Still. "Tony I...I'm really sorry. I'll apologize right, to your face, whenever your ready. If you want me to go...I'll go. But, if you don't...I'll be waiting here too. I'm really sorry." She sighed heavily against his shoulder, buried her face against his neck.

 

She took his hand, wearily. "Here, come on. Lets give him some space."

 

She led him back to the bed, and sat against the headboard, leaned against him. What could they do but wait?

 

* * *

 

Eventually, Tony deemed it safe to unclench his muscles. About 10 minutes after that, he actually managed to do it.

 

He wasn’t back to baseline, not back to equilibrium by any stretch. But he didn’t feel like he was teetering on the edge of falling apart anymore. He still felt over-sensitized, though. Like the pink skin right under peeled sunburn, feeling every passing sensation with needless acuity and volume, and ready to switch over to pain at a moments notice.

 

They were still out there. There was no way they weren’t still out there. Which meant as soon as he opened that door, he’d have to explain himself.

 

That rankled. Shit happened and he shouldn’t have to explain himself to anybody. This was as private and as personal as anything could get. Just the thought of owning anyone an explanation pissed him off.

 

No, now he was just getting pissed over nothing. Pepper and Steve would want an explanation because they were worried about him and they were worried about him because they loved him and yes, preventing this from ever reoccurring was going to involve them understanding what had happened. At least a little.

 

Fuck he just really didn’t want to explain. Was his face hot? Was that blushing? He sat up, stiffly, so he could see his face in the mirror and yeah, blushing. Fuck. Psychologically compromised, owing explanation, naked, trapped in his own bathroom and _blushing_. At least he wasn’t hard anymore.

 

No amount of waiting was going to make this suck less. Pull the bandaid off fast.

 

He got to his feet, splashed some cold water on his face.

 

And opened the door.

 

They were curled on the bed, looking to the door, waiting. Both still naked (which he was grateful for. He didn’t usually mind nudity but being the only naked one right now seemed like a shit prospect) and wrapped in each others arms. Pepper’s eyes were a bit red. They both looked miserable. Tony felt like a complete ass.

 

He cleared his throat, and tried to look normal, reassuring. “So, that was…embarrassing.”

 

Pepper was overtly sympathetic. Steve just looked guilty and scared. He could see them both very actively resisting getting up and coming over to him. He could practically taste how badly they wanted to reach out and touch him. The same horrible little voice that had tried to get him to take himself apart before tried to talk him into reaching out for them. The very fact that the impulse came from the same little (formerly huge) voice was enough to persuade him he shouldn’t, but how could he tell them that?

 

“Tony-“ Pepper’s voice ached with concern.

 

Steve looked at him directly, the embodiment of earnestness. “Tony, I’m so sorry. Whatever I did, I swear, I won’t-“

 

Tony cut him off with a grimace and a wave. Guilty silence replaced guilty words. Tony rubbed his face. They waited.

 

He sat on the end of the bed, with his back to them. “Please, both of you quit looking guilty. It’s not you, it’s just” _me_ “circumstances.”

 

He heard movement, but wasn’t sure which of them it was, shuffling towards him. This whole stupid thing was exhausting. This whole stupid day was exhausting.

 

Pepper’s hand rested lightly on his shoulder and _bam_ that urge was back. The lure of _Safe_ hooking onto his insides and trying to pull them towards her. He jumped to his feet, spinning to face the immanent threat of safety. God he was screwed up.

 

Pepper didn’t move, she looked up at him, anxious and confused, with her hand still suspended in midair where his shoulder had been. Slowly, she lowered it. Tony looked away.

 

Steve’s voice was soft. “Ok, so…now what? What do you want us to do?”

 

Tony scrubbed at his face again. “I think…I’m gonna go sleep downstairs.” That would be the safest. He couldn’t sleep with them tonight, curled up between them. He’d be caught for sure.

 

Pepper sounded completely baffled, a little affronted. “What?”

 

Tony shrugged, her being kinda pissed made it a little easier to look at her, so he did. He took a half a step back. “Just gonna sleep downstairs. We have the space, why not? You two…” he waved a hand at them both, disconcerted by their critical expressions. “Have fun. I’ll see you in the morning. Breakfast at 6:30, right?”

 

He took another step backwards, towards the door and distance.

 

But Pepper was mad now. She stood. “Oh no. No you don’t.” Tony raised his eyebrows at her. She picked a hell of a time to get bossy, but this was a lot easier to deal with than the painfully tempting tenderness from a minute ago. “Tony, you can’t just walk away right now.”

 

Oh yes, this was much easier. His voice took on a sarcastic edge. “Excuse me, aren’t _I_ supposed to tell _you_ what I need in a circumstance like this?”

 

“Except you’re not. You’re running away and hiding and I still don’t know what set you off. We have sex on your bad days _all the time_ , Tony. Something different happened this time. How am I supposed to take care of you if you won’t-“

 

He flinched, and snapped. _“I don’t need you to take care of me.”_ It was louder than he’d meant to be. He had to get out of here.

 

He froze. Pepper was staring at him with such loss, betrayal, and pain. She looked like he’d hit her. She opened her mouth, just a little, but shut it again. Oh god, was that a lip tremble?

 

She turned her head away, not wanting him to see it. Shit. Steve shifted on the bed, considering coming to her rescue if Tony didn’t step up. Tony put his hands out. “Crap. Honey, I’m sorry.” He touched her arm, expecting her to pull away, but she didn’t. She let him pull her against him. “That’s a bald-faced lie. I didn’t mean that. Of course I need you. You know that. Everyone knows that. It’s a well documented and frequently published fact.”

 

She sniffled, just once, but leaned into him. Providing comfort was more comfortable. She muttered something about him being a jerk against his shoulder. “I know. Sorry.”

 

She raised her voice enough to be distinct. “I _like_ taking care of you.”

 

He took a deep, slightly unsteady breath. It was amazing how quickly she could get under his skin. He let her go, but rubbed her arm in apology. It seemed to have worked, she looked more steady now.

 

Except, of course, that meant she was thinking clearly enough to have her planning face on. She watched him, calculating. “Let me. Let us. If you can’t do that, then at least give us enough information to stop this from happening again. I can’t…you’re going to have a much less interesting sex life if I have to stick to things I know wont upset you. Especially because I thought we were well within the safe range. I don’t like guesswork and I am not willing to risk it.” Ugh.  “And look at Steve!”

 

Tony looked. Cap looked startled to be the sudden center of attention, but not startled enough to cover the guilt he was still clearly hauling around. Ugh. Craaaap. Tony sighed. He let his hand drop to hold Pepper’s, and she squeezed it. He held the other hand out towards Steve. “Here, come here. Stop spectating.”

 

Steve scooched to the edge of the bed sheepishly, but stayed seated. Tony gathered Steve in against his torso, then ran a thumb through the soft hair at his neck. Steve leaned into it, and cautiously- much too cautiously reached his arms around Tony, and gently held him close. Tony sighed again. “Sorry I freaked you out. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

“Sorry I was rough with you.”

 

Tony laughed, fast and surprised. Wow ok they really did not know what was going on at all. Fair enough. “Rough? Seriously? Rogers, that was not rough. That was not even…” It was fucking tender, was what it was.

 

Steve looked up at him, skeptically. He reached up one powerful, elegant hand and tapped the hickey. “What’s that then?”

 

Oh fuck, the hickeys. Yeah. He’d almost forgot about those. Them claiming him, leaving their marks and making him theirs. That was good. That was so good but yeah, just thinking about it brought that urge to cling, to be claimed and protected back at the front of his awareness.

 

But he _liked_ hickeys and normally they were fine. He couldn’t give up everything he liked. “Uhm, really hot?”

 

Steve smiled a little, unsteadily. He held on to Tony a little more firmly. “Can you honestly say that wasn’t part of what freaked you out? If you do, I’ll believe you, but… I don’t want to sound like a jerk but we’re both stronger than you. I wouldn’t blame you if getting marked up like that…”

 

“No. Well, kind-of. It was a factor but not the way you’re thinking _at all_. Please stop trying to problem solve.”

 

Pepper, never one to avoid problem-solving cut in “Then-“

 

He let them both go, putting his hands up, stepping away a little. Clearly, they were not going to let this go without a more in-depth explanation. And he’d sworn up and down to keep the lines of communication open, right? And this would suck, but they loved him, so it should be ok, right?

 

Right?

 

He sighed. “Ok, ok. Totally humiliating explanation, coming right up.” He took a slow breath, and stepped back a little more. He ended up leaning his bare butt against Pepper’s dresser. He crossed his arms, leaning forward a little and looking down. “Uhm. Ffffffff. Ok. So I’ve been on edge all day. You both…totally knew that. And that position we got in…that was new. That was…I couldn’t move at all. I know how much stronger you both are. Like, I can and have done the math for that. I have the data. But 90% of the time I don’t think about it. And then you both got all possessive with the hickeys and everything.” He reached up, touching one. It had a dull, pleasant ache to it. A reminder.

 

He glanced up at them. They looked miserable. Sitting side by side like they’d been called in to the principles office. “But you didn’t hurt me, ok? Lets be clear on that.”

 

Pepper spoke. “You’ve never seemed intimidated before-“

 

“I wasn’t. I wasn’t intimidated.” Tony answered quickly, honestly. Steve’s eyes came up, a glimmer of renewed hope. Tony looked away, trying to think. “I was…ok, have you ever been so hungry that when you finally get food you eat way too much and too fast and end up sick? It’s like that. It was something I wanted just…too much, too fast.” Ok, lay it all on the line. He could do that. Deep breath. He closed his eyes, let his face scrunch up in disdain for this last bit. “I wasn’t scared. I was…” he trailed off. Tried again. “You two, especially together, make me…Ok, _don’t_ think I’m crazy.” He gave what he hoped was a brief warning glare “But after a day like this, suddenly feeling really… _really-really safe_ I couldn’t…it was disorienting. And rather than have a total meltdown I opted out.” He added decisively. 

 

_Please don’t think I’m as screwed up as I am._

 

He looked back up at them again.  They were both confused. Steve asked “Meltdown?”

 

Tony knocked against the dresser a couple times with his knuckles. “Yeah. Y’know. Crying and…that kind of junk.” Wow Tony did not want to be here doing this. This right here was love. Trusting them with this information and sticking it out enough to have this awful, humiliating conversation so they would feel comfortable with him again. And wow. Yeah, his face was heating up again. Blushing. Sonofabitch. Bad enough to feel totally humiliated, did he have to show it?

 

He glanced back at them. Steve was frowning. “Lemme get this straight. You felt safe, which made you feel like crying, so you…hid in the bathroom.”

 

Flattering. He loved Steve, he did, but the man lacked Pepper’s knack for putting things in a way that didn’t make Tony sound totally insane. “Pretty much, yeah.”

 

Wait, was Steve blushing to, suddenly? He actually looked a little…mad. Or something. Ok, Tony was maybe being a bit of a drama queen but seriously, he was doing his best here. Steve ducked his head for a second but yeah, totally angry jaw there. Tony fought down the reflex to get angry back. “Hey, look, I spared you as much of it as I could. I was not expecting this, so I couldn’t plan around it, or believe me, I would have.” And Pepper was staring at him. Not even critically, just this nearly blank but incredibly intense stare. “And what’s that face?”

 

She blinked, shaking her head to clear it. “Sorry. I just…you felt like crying?” Tony glared. He’d already said it more times than he wanted to. Could they be done with this, yet? Her eyes were burning as they locked on to his. “Do it. If it was because you felt safe…then do it.” Tony stared back, baffled and more than a little skeptical.  She looked a little embarrassed, but continued. “I’ll take any vulnerability you want to put in front of me, Tony. I _like_ taking care of you.” She looked at Steve, who was still sulking. “Both of you.” She was actually blushing now. Which at least made it the unanimous response to this awful discussion.  She looked back to Tony. “If you wanted to trust me with that, I’d like it. In fact-” She paused, watching him intently as she assembled the words in her mind. She straightened her back. “I’d find it attractive.”

 

Tony boggled. “At- _attractive_?”

 

She flinched a little but stood her ground. “Yes, attractive. You know I like taking care of you, and you know I find acts of intimacy attractive. There’s no reason for this to surprise you. I wouldn’t just not mind. I’d like it.”

 

“Steve doesn’t want to see-“

 

Steve stiffened at being spoken for. “Who says?” Tony fell silent. Steve continued. “I don’t like seeing you hurting but if it’s…letting off pressure because you feel…safe with us. That’s different. That’s…”

 

“Insanely hot?” Pepper offered. 

 

“Romantic.” Steve finished, a little embarrassed, but obviously sincere, because, Steve. Tony was dating crazy people.

 

But they were crazy people who found his weakness romantic and his craziness tolerable. Steve braced himself. “And if you liked how that felt, except for worrying about how we would react, then yeah, I’d be willing to give it another go. More than willing.”

 

Which meant the only question left was, did Tony want that? Other than the whole humiliation aspect, it had felt great.

 

What if he could get that whenever he was feeling like he might end up under his worktop for 20 minutes? Well, not every time, they all had lives, after all, but regularly? What if he could just…ask for that, and generally get it within 24 hours? All-encompasing sense of safety, love and security, on demand. _Legitimate_ safety, love and security, the real deal. Just because he asked for it. And have them actually like providing it for him?

 

They actually wanted that. To protect him that much. To see him laid bare that way. They wanted to get into every weak, broken corner of him with those possessive hands and…

 

Put like that…

 

When had the risk of embarrassment last kept Tony Stark for going after something he really wanted?

 

He stepped towards the bed, they both turned towards him like a compass to North. “I’m feeling a little bit calmer now. Might not happen again.”

 

“Ok.” Pepper agreed.

 

“But then again, it might.”

 

Steve answered this time, gently. “Also fine.”

 

Another step. “Can’t promise I wont safeword again if it does.”

 

Pepper gave him a _you should know better_ look. “That is _always_ an option, Tony. You know that.”

 

Steve added “Least this time we should be able to avoid chasing you into the bathroom.”

 

Tony half-smiled. Took another step towards the bed. “Steve?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I like the hickeys.”

 

Steve bit his lower lip, and seemed to suddenly remember Tony was naked. “They, ah, they look good on you.”

 

 Another step forward, and he was back to the foot of the bed. He tilted his head to the side, considering. “They do, don’t they.” He prodded one, absently.

 

“That one’s mine.” Pepper interjected. He already knew she liked marking him up that way. He smirked anyways.

 

Steve nodded. “She’s right, the other one’s mine.”

 

Tony tisked. “Possessive.”

 

He sat down. Saw them restraining themselves from coming after him, took pity on them, and made his way up to the headboard, between them.

 

Steve was watching him, or maybe watching the hickey, with a different kind of interest now. “I got the impression you like that.”

 

“I might.”

 

Pepper scooched close, not quite touching him, but her lips were next to his ear, low and eager. “Show me.” He shivered. Shit. She wanted this. And he could trust her with this, with this level of exposure. He looked back at Steve, who’s eagerness was more tempered with sentimentality. Romantic, right. 

 

Tony nodded.That was enough. Pepper pushed on his shoulder, rolling him towards Steve, and started in on a mark to match the one on his front. Steve looked about to do something similar, but got distracted with kissing Tony’s mouth instead, just as intent and thorough as before. Once again, Tony was sandwiched between them, even if this time he had quite a bit more room to move. Steve kissed him, sweet but emphatic, with a hand on Tony’s jaw. When he pulled away he stayed close, left his hand there. His voice was low. “You sure about this?”

 

Tony licked his lips, a little flutter of anxiety in his stomach. “You sure you’ll still want me after?” This was so screwed up-

 

There wasn’t any heat to Steve’s response. “Do I strike you as someone who’d ask for that, then throw you over when I’m done?” They both knew the answer to that, but.

 

“You didn’t actually. She did.” Tony nodded towards Pepper.

 

Steve’s eyes flicked to Pepper, then came back to Tony. “You sure like to hear me ask for it. Fine. I want to see any reaction that comes from you feeling that safe around me. I think that’s amazing. And don’t laugh at me but I consider that an honor.” An honor?

 

Well, actually. Ok. It was certainly rare and hard to get. Other people had tried to crack Tony open before. They couldn’t. And here Tony was giving it away.

 

But this was getting a little too mushy and he wanted that fierce, possessive sexuality back. And he had the flavor of tonights dirty talk down, now. “Then get to it. Hold me down. Mark me up. Claim me. I’m yours. Make me feel it. Make me feel it for the next _week_.” That was clearly working. All the hands touching him were tightening, shifting, taking on the characteristics of ownership. Oh, God. Steve’s eyes had gone dark, the gentle affection from before transmuted into something burning, but just as real. Just as enduring. “Put me where I know the only things that can touch me are you two. Where I’m-“ His throat closed up. He had to try and think of this as dirty talk, or he’d never get through this. He swallowed, got it working again, but it was husky and thick. “Where I’m safe. So safe it hurts.” It was bothering him he couldn’t see Pepper’s face for this confession. He turned his head, and Steve allowed it. Pepper was entranced. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her so rapt before. Her face was flushed from want and they’d hardly done anything. He took one more deep breath. “Take me apart.”

 

For a moment, there was stillness. At least, outside there was stillness. Inside, his heart was pounding, and his stomach was clenching like the final moment before the big drop on a roller coaster. He was sweating, part from the extraordinary heat of their bodies and part from his own nerves.

 

Then, suddenly, movement. Peppers hand, firm on his shoulder came up and pushed him down, flat on his back, and their legs wound around his, pinning him down completely prone. They each pressed close, one on either side, which had him pretty well covered. She kissed him, hard, and his eyes closed. _Yes._  

 

The _Safe_  feeling was swelling up in him again already. The desire to cling. His arm was under Pepper and after just a second of hesitation he reached it up around her, wanting to hold her close, ready to let himself need that.  Only to have her hand grab his wrist and snap it down against the bed.

 

His eyes flew open and his chest seized up. Was that not allowed? But her lips still moved against his. And now, Steve was going to work on what he could reach of Tony’s throat. He was surprised to hear himself whimper. Pepper pulled back with heavily lidded eyes to look at him. What did he look like right now? He didn’t have a point of reference for this.

 

However he looked, she clearly liked it. She smiled, her fingers tightening on his wrist, pressing it down a hair tighter. Ah. Not a rejection of his clinging. A declaration that they would be handing that, to. He didn’t have to cling when they were holding so tight. Muscles relaxed all over him, and he closed his eyes again.

 

He made himself leave them closed when Pepper suddenly moved off of him. Forced himself to trust that. Everything was fine. They’d take care of him. He felt her move around a bit, and then Steve was off him too and Tony bit back another whimper, trying to keep his eyes closed and just trust-

 

His eyes came open again when he startled at being scooped up off the bed effortlessly. It was Pepper, smiling beatifically and holding him in what would have been bride-style except she was doing it with only one arm. Good goddamn. This should be humiliating, it really should. But her skin was so soft and her arm was so sure and he was curled around two supple breasts so it was hard to be too upset.

 

She set him down as easily as she’d lifted him up, placing him gently on top of Steve, who was half reclining, half sitting against a mountain of pillows, arms out to accept him and eyes shining.  With their height difference, Tony's head leaned back against the downward slope of Steve's shoulder, and he could feel Steve's dick caught under Tony's ass, hard and warm, between the cheeks. Steve’s legs were bent upwards on the sides of Tony's legs, holding him all the way down to his feet. When she let him go, she left one hand on his stomach, not breaking contact. Steve's arms came up, wrapping around Tony and holding his forearms together across his chest, just like they had been on the couch. 

 

He barely had a second to register how perfectly secure that felt  before Pepper was laying down on top of him, pinning him from above as Steve guarded his back and sides. _Yes yes yes._ This time, instead of a flood, the sense of safety shuddered through him like the rocking of an old engine in need of a tune-up. He gasped, head tilting back again. He rocked up into her, but she pressed back down with her own hips, grinding him against Steve, hard enough he had no room to press back. Of course, he tried, reveling in his own immobility. Steve hummed his own enjoyment of the movement.

 

Steve’s hands shifted, now holding both Tony’s arms in place with one hand. The other held Tony's head again, pulled him in close. Tony pressed His forehead to Steve's jaw. Steve's voice was rough, but sweet. "Doing ok?"

 

Tony's voice, on the other hand, was tight to the point of pain. "Amazing." He tried to move his hips again. Nothing. He moaned. Steve's hand moved down, forcing Tony's head back with the simple movement of his thumb, then trailed that same thumb lightly down his throat. Tony shivered, just about the only movement he was capable of right now.

 

Pepper was reclining with her head on her arms, resting on Tony’s chest, watching him. She reached over to stroke his face. "Tony." it sounded like wonder. He closed his eyes. 

 

Her hand wandered down—jaw, jugular, lingered on a hickey, then changed angles as Pepper dug sharp, sudden nails into him and scratched her way down his torso. His back tried to arch and he shouted, eyes squeezed shut. _Safe Safe Safe._ Her voice, by comparison, was quiet, demanded he shut up to listen. "You're mine, Tony. Mine and Steve's. I’m going to make sure you feel that.”

 

Tony shuddered, trying now to make himself still, to hand over everything to them. Pepper continued, in a tone that would have been conversational if not for the heat of it. "Can you feel Steve? I bet he's hard. Steve?"

 

"Don't know how I could possibly not be." he tightened his grip on Tony's arm. Tony wondered if it would bruise. Oh please, let it bruise.

 

Pepper’s voice held the curve of a smile, directed at him again. “You are amazing like this. Gorgeous." She leaned, kissing his chin. Her voice moved even lower. "Thank you for giving this to us. It's beautiful." 

 

He felt the lightest tingle of a kiss against his ear before Pepper ground down against his hips, shattering that moment with an explosive flash of sensation, reminding him that this wasn’t only about emotions, it was about bodies. About his giving them dominion over his. This time the sound he made was more of a ragged scream. He could feel a low rumble of a sound from Steve, pulling Tony close.  

 

He squeezed his eyes shut tight. There it was, roaring to overwhelming proportions, crowding out decades of control and rationality and reason. _Safe Safe Safe Safe._ His eyes turned hot, stinging. Just like before. His breath turned from shuddering and shallow to ragged and gasping. 

 

This time, they were expecting it. Waiting for it. They crowded closer, tightening their grips. Tony moved, testing Steve's grip on his arms, just slightly, but Steve's hand just re-adjusted to hold him more securely. He felt Steve's lips against his neck. “Love you.”

 

There was no denying that the sound he made was more of a sob than anything else this time, breaking against Pepper’s lips. She took his face in her hands, kissing his lips, his jaw, his eyelids.

 

He wasn’t breaking. He kept waiting to crack open but he wasn’t going to. A crack, a break, that would hurt him. Nothing here would hurt him, he was Safe. They were protecting him. From everything. But the pressure inside him was building, would have to get out somehow.

 

Pepper move against him again, sliding her hips over his erection. Tony couldn’t move to meet her but Steve could, thrusting smoothly up follow her motion, with Tony pressed between them. And again. Steve was grinding against Tony’s ass, pushing him upwards to meet Peppers downward press. He shuddered again.

 

Pepper said something to Steve. Her voice was soft, hungry but calm, so he didn’t need to know what she was saying.

 

She shifted, and the weight of her was gone from his front. A small, pained noise passed his lips, missing her immediately. He opened his eyes, but she was still right there, just crouching above him instead of pressed down. He was still surrounded by her. He closed his eyes again, and the simple movement of his eyelids jostled out one heavy, cold tear to run down his face.

 

He heard Pepper’s murmured voice again, still nearby, still addressing Steve. Steve murmured back, his voice a soothing vibration at Tony’s back. Steve’s breaths were expanding, bending Tony’s back with every inhale, moving Tony with nothing but the force of his life, his existence. Steve’s thumb was under Tony’s jaw again, pressing back, exposing Tony’s throat. And there was Pepper’s mouth- her teeth on his neck. Pressing sharp, bright flashes of sensation through his system. Those teeth- it was controlled, even if it was primal. Not a mark of predition, but dominance supported by the inescapable strength of Steve’s hand, presenting Tony to her, holding him in place to be claimed, so claiming Tony himself. Another shudder. Another release of control. Safe in Pepper’s mouth, in Steve’s hands. Another gasped, sob-like noise.

 

Steve's hand moved, shifting to the side, releasing one of Tony's arms. Pepper claimed the wrist before Tony registered it's having been freed. She pulled it up off his body, off to the side, pressing it against the pillows, and Steve echoed the movement on the other side. The skin on his chest where the arms had been held was shockingly cold, wet with sweat and suddenly open to the air again. This position was more exposed, more vulnerable. But there was no urge to hide, to resist. Instead, he felt his head tilt back again in invitation. This time Steve shifted, bending Tony's body as necessary for him to bite firmly at Tony's neck before kissing his way down to where the neck met shoulder to deliver another dark, stinging mark. Another signature of who he belonged to. This time the words Steve breathed against his skin were clearly meant for him, so he made sure to understand them, to hear whatever instruction he was about to be given. "Got you." Tony shuddered a response between a gasp and a sob.

 

He was starting to be unable to track what was going on around him. He had a vague sense he should, but why? Nothing was up to him. Nothing was required of him. His only object was to allow them whatever they wanted. The only thing he needed to remember was trust, and from here, he could barely remember anything else.

 

Without Pepper pinning his body down he was free to arch his back till his shoulders pulled painfully at his secured wrists when Pepper plunged hot, slick, _tight_ pressure around his cock. His shout cut short when her hand slammed into his chest, pinning him back against Steve ruthlessly. He gasped, tried to writhe, his legs curling automatically with instincts he hadn't known were still in him. But Pepper hooked her ankle around one of his legs to lock it down to the mattress, and Steve wrapped the whole of his other leg around Tony's, immobilizing it completely. Pepper laid down on him, locking him between their bodies again.

 

And then they started to move. Pepper bearing down, engulfing him, then Steve thrusting up, grinding against Tony's ass when she moved upwards, the two of them moving in sync with him helpless and overwhelmed between them.

 

He gave up thought. Gave up any real awareness and any final scraps of intent. He felt pleasure, and pressure and heat and now and then sharp flashes of bright, crystalline pain. He gave up on time, on any restraint. He was, very distantly, aware of wetness on his face, and most everywhere else, of wailing noises and steady, hungry voices. He felt movement, rolling his body, but none of it was his now. Nothing belonged to him now. He was empty of everything but their want, their movement, their love.

 

He didn’t crack, he unravelled. Every protection and barrier that wasn’t them loosened and fell away, unneeded. Every fear and insecurity drained away, pushed out by pleasure and love. It didn’t even occur to him not to scream when he came. His whole body convulsed with it, a shattering sensation that might actually have scared him if he was any less protected than he was.

 

The last thing that he was aware of before he passed out was that they were still holding him, stroking and cuddling and speaking to him in soft voices that he knew were praise, even though words were beyond him, now. The sex was over, but he was still safe. 

 

* * *

Pepper tucked the blankets tighter around Tony. Tony wasn’t prone to sub-drop, but she’d never seen him go down that far before. She never would have expected to see that. Clearly, neither had Tony. Steve lay down on Tony’s other side, with his eyes dipping closed, still catching his breath and caught between wanting sleep and watching them. She had hoped to see this aggressively adoring side to Steve eventually- she’d known it was in there, somewhere. But actually witnessing it still felt like a little miracle. 

 

Tony, striped by her nails and decorated with a gallery of hickeys from them both, gave a shakey little sigh in his sleep. She kept her voice low, though she doubted a parade right through the bedroom would wake Tony right now. Still, she didn’t want to ruin the peaceful stillness permeating the room. “Steve?” he forced his eyes to open a little more, showing her he was listening. “Go ahead and sleep, I’ll stay up a bit longer to make sure he’s ok. I’m sure you’ll wake up if either of us needs you to.”

 

Steve considered this a moment, then nodded, golden eyelashes dipping closed slowly as he snuggled closer to Tony. “And Steve?” He opened them again. “You understand. I’m sure you do but… this-“ she nodded at Tony “This is partly because of you that he can be like this. That he can let go this much. You understand that, right?”

 

Steve’s smile was still sleepy, but it was radiant. “Think he might be the bravest man I know.”

 

Steve did understand. Of course he did. She smiled back at him. “We’re so lucky to have you. I’m so glad you’re here.”

 

He snorted a silent amused laugh through his nose. “ _You’re_ glad.”

 

“Yes, I’m glad.” She answered emphatically. “You are a treasure, don’t you dare think you’re anything less.” 

 

Steve blinked at her, slow, contented, actively resisting sleep, now. “I love you both.”

 

“We love you.” She answered. 

 

Steve nodded. He reached one cool hand up to her face. Cool? Hm. She might be glowing. “Yeah” He watched her for a minute, then his gaze drifted down to Tony, who’d shown them such extraordinary trust. “I can tell.” 

 

She held his hand to her face, then kissed his palm. “Go on to sleep. I’ll keep an eye on things.”

 

Steve squeezed her hand, then lay down, laying one thick arm across Tony and closing his eyes. Pepper was perfectly content to watch them. 

 

* * *

 

Steve woke up to heat, unpleasant stickiness, and a vague but wonderful sense of contentment. He spared a second to try to remember what dream he'd had that would lead to that combination of feelings and sensations, but as far as he could remember he'd been sleeping dreamlessly.

 

Then he took in the marshmallow mattress under him, the light filtering in through his eyelids, and the comforting sounds of two people breathing beside him, and smiled, mystery solved. He opened his eyes. Tony was beside him, in an uncharacteristically loose sprawl on his back, all marked up and looking as peaceful as Steve had ever seen him. Past him, Pepper lay on her side, with a contented little smile on her face, still watching them, with one hand on Tony's shoulder. The last of the daylight was filtering in through the windows, just to add the final touch to the scene. It made him want a sketchbook, but not quite badly enough get out of bed, so he settled on watching, memorizing as many details as he could.

 

He levered himself up on his elbows to get a better look and ugh- oh, the gross stickiness might actually be enough to get him up out of bed. He shifted a little and yeah, this was enough to get him out of bed, at least temporarily. They'd still be here when he got back, and they shouldn’t have to lay in this. 

 

He peeled himself off of the high threadcount sheets. Pepper reached over to take his hand, commandeered it to kiss his knuckles before letting go. He melted. Then he padded quietly over to the ensuite bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. He’d scrub up, then go take care of her. He wouldn't wake Tony.

 

As always, the room was stocked with a baffling quantity of every imaginable towel and toiletry, and he fished out a wash cloth. As he ran it under hot water he startled at a dark shape behind him, unexpected in the familiar white room.

 

Once he actually looked at the shape, it showed itself to be a deep blue bathrobe, hung on a hook he could swear wasn't there 3 days ago.

 

He turned off the water and set the cloth down, reaching to inspect the new arrival.

 

It was huge, plush, and had a large white star on the back, hung between Pepper’s white cotton robe and Tony's new black terrycloth.

 

His throat closed up, and he had to take a deep breath. He already had a toothbrush here, and a razor, but this was different. Maybe it shouldn't be but that silly little hook was still a modification to their home, done specifically to house something they got for him, to make him more comfortable. His lips thinned and he rubbed at the side of his nose, not feeling too bad for sniffling. Not after what Tony had shown them.

 

He turned back to the sink and scrubbed himself off as efficiently as he could before tossing the cloth in the hamper. He turned back, grabbing the robe off the wall and slipping it on. Unlike the last robe he'd put on here, this one fit him. It was tremendously soft. He couldn't have resisted his stupid grin if he tried. And he didn't try. This was so homey. Felt so permanent. And…he looked at the hook again, right there in the wall. It looked like maybe it was supposed to feel homey and permanent. And they’d never lead him on. He could trust them with that. With damn near anything.

 

He heard a quiet voice from the other side of the door, Pepper, he was pretty sure. Which meant Tony was awake. He grabbed another washcloth, ran it under hot water. He should have thought of this before he fell asleep. He didn't want to miss any opportunities to do right by them.

 

When he opened the door, Tony was sitting up in bed, looking alarmed, maybe a little confused. Pepper was propped up on an elbow behind him, much calmer. Tony's attention whipped to Steve when the door opened. Steve left his dopey grin right where it was. If Tony could lay all that on the line in front of them, he didn't have any reason to hide his own goofy happiness. He did refrain from running back to the bed, but only just. Tony relaxed a fraction. They both seemed a little amused by his grin, and his wearing his new gift.

 

He sat on the bed, leaning to kiss Tony's cheek, then a little further to kiss Pepper before sitting upright. She smiled at him. "I take it you like your present."

 

"I do." he agreed readily. 

 

"Yeah" Tony put in "I still kind of miss the miniskirt measurements of the last one."  There was tension, anxiety in Tony's eyes. 

 

Steve wanted to blot it out. He nudged Tony to the side. "Here, scooch over."

 

"What? ok, ok. Pushy." Steve settled in behind Tony, one leg on either side of him. He started scrubbing at Tony's back, up high, where the tightness was. He'd get to the actual mess lower down in a minute. It had the effect he was hoping for. Tony's shoulders sagged back down and his head tipped back with a contented hum, rejoining them in the afterglow. Pepper chuckled, and ran her fingers through Tony's hair as he sighed. They stayed that way for a minute or two. Steve basked in it.

 

Then Tony shook himself out of his daze, extending his hand back towards Steve, palm up. "Ok, ok. I've got it from here. Gimme." and the tension was back.

 

It wasn't like Steve didn't understand that. Tony'd had the guts to let them in, but wouldn't anyone be a little embarrassed afterwards? Steve had almost wanted to hide in the bathroom himself after Tony’s explanation, embarrassed all over again by the scene he’d caused on their first date. It was too easy to think even someone who cared for you might be disgusted with that, and Tony had risked so much more than Steve had. Now he wouldn’t have to worry about it. In retrospect, why had he ever thought they’d be disgusted by his tears? Steve held on to the washcloth, and leaned against Tony's back. "Oh come on. Indulge me."

 

"I know how to wash, Rogers." Tony retorted. Steve had a good view of Tony's ears turning pink from where he was.

 

Steve kissed the ear closest to him. "Please let me?"

 

Pepper was smirking. "Oh, let him, if it makes him happy." Steve nuzzled Tony's hair in agreement. 

 

"Are we going to do this?" Tony objected, trying to sound more annoyed and less worried than he clearly was. "Pretend I don't know how to do things just because-"

 

Steve leaned back, pulling Tony against the fluffy robe so Tony could see his face, even it was upside-down. Something about the angle highlighted the fear in his eyes. Steve kissed his forehead. "Quit that. You should know by now neither of us would forget what you're like just because you trusted us to see another side of you. We're sitting in a building built with money you earned, powered by technology you perfected, and defended by your bravery. You really think we're going to forget that?"

 

“A little credit, please, Tony.” Pepper added, smiling contentedly.  “Or a little faith, at least.”

 

Steve could feel as much as see Tony start to relax. "You're not trying to bathe Pepper" Tony objected, mildly.

 

"I mean to. I've just only got so many hands." Steve assured. He looked at Pepper. "I'll get a fresh washcloth, first."

 

Pepper nodded, smiling. She looked at Tony. "And I plan to let him without fussing."

 

Tony watched her for a moment, then looked back up at Steve, studying him. Steve didn't worry about it. Just let what he was feeling show. 

 

That seemed to do the trick. Tony relaxed against Steve, sinking into the fluff of fabric, then sat forward again. Steve went back to firm, slow rubbing, and Tony hummed again. His head fell forward this time, sighing contentedly. 

 

Pepper sighed next to them, watching for a few seconds before sitting up. She kissed Steve again, light and fond, then rested her head against Tony's shoulder. Her voice was soft and warm and deliberately sincere next to Tony's ear. "Thank you."

 

Steve leaned in just a hair to, but kept scrubbing Tony's back with the warm cloth. "What the lady said."

 

Tony didn't respond right away, which was fine. His allowing this was enough answer for Steve.  When Tony did answer his  voice was unusually open, leaking in a vulnerability without the desperate edge from before. "Sure." A longer pause. Steve enjoyed the way Tony's body moved with his every stroke, pliant and loose, and the way Pepper moved languidly with him. "And...thanks. For taking care of me.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end!
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos, folks! I love these dorks a lot and may do more with them in the future (in a separate fic! Please stop subscribing to this one!). Feel free to come say hi on Tumblr. I'm constant-instigator, and I have an open askbox. Now and then I take requests. :)


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